Wednesday evening in Waikiki ended in classic Hawaiian style, with a stunning red, orange and gold sunset, children laughing and splashing in waves lapping the shore – and parents sipping cocktails from plastic cups.

A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami waves of up to 16 feet nearby, and sparked evacuation orders in Japan, Hawaii and across the Pacific on Wednesday (July 30).

Hawaii officials say the timing of the tsunami warning and evacuation orders following this week's massive earthquake off Russia helped make for severe traffic congestion in some areas

Over a million Hawaii residents and visitors spent more than seven hours under threat of a potentially highly destructive tsunami Tuesday that triggered evacuations from low-lying coastal areas statewide.

A significant earthquake struck early Wednesday, prompting officials in both Hawaii and Japan to issue evacuation orders as a precautionary measure. The seismic event, which occurred in the Pacific region,