A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake has triggered a tsunami warning along a 700-mile stretch of Alaska’s southern coast, prompting communities to order residents to higher ground.
The tremor struck at 12:37 p.m. local time, just south of Sand Point, a community of approximately 580 people located on Popof Island in the Aleutian chain. While initial projections indicated the first waves would hit this area, the state’s emergency management division reported no damage an hour after the quake.
“We have seen other earthquakes in the area that have not generated significant tsunami waves, but we’re treating it seriously and going through our procedures, making sure communities are notified so they can activate their evacuation procedures,” stated spokesman Jeremy Zidek. The U.S. Tsunami Center confirmed the warning was active from about 40 miles southwest of Homer to Unimak Pass, encompassing a vast 700-mile distance. Kodiak, with a population of 5,200, is among the larger communities affected.
In Unalaska, a fishing community of around 4,100 residents, officials urged people to move at least 50 feet above sea level and 1 mile inland. Similarly, in King Cove, home to about 870 residents on the south side of the Alaska Peninsula, an alert was issued for those in coastal areas to seek higher ground.
Washington officials also analysed potential dangers to their state, but data from tsunami buoys subsequently confirmed there was no threat, the Washington Emergency Management Division announced on X.
