One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded has sent a tsunami crashing into a Russian port and smaller waves barreling across the Pacific to the Americas and south to New Zealand.

The sixth-strongest earthquake ever recorded triggered waves several feet high hurtling towards coastal areas worldwide.Countries in and around the Pacific Ocean announced varying degrees of alerts for anticipated tsunamis.

Tsunami warnings prompted gridlocked traffic as people tried to reach higher elevations in Hawaii, but the threat level was later downgraded.