A powerful yet shallow earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale hit the Alaskan peninsula late Wednesday, leading to tsunami warnings in the state and increased monitoring across the Pacific.
Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Tsunami warning sirens were activated near a Walmart in Kodiak, Alaska, as captured in a video by a local resident and shared with Reuters.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) issued alerts for southern Alaska, the volcanic peninsula, and Pacific coastal regions from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Unimak Pass.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced via Twitter that the state’s emergency operations center had been activated, and officials were reaching out to communities within the tsunami warning zones.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 10:15 PM local time and was recorded at a depth of 35 kilometers.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported that it had rescinded tsunami threat warnings previously issued for Hawaii and the US Pacific territory of Guam.
The NTWC is currently assessing the tsunami risk for other Pacific coastal areas in the US and Canada.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency is examining the potential for a tsunami to impact Japan, as reported by public broadcaster NHK. However, there were no tsunami alerts listed on the agency’s website.
Authorities in New Zealand are also evaluating any potential threats to their coastal regions.
The earthquake was located approximately 91 kilometers east-southeast of Perryville, Alaska, and about 800 kilometers from Anchorage, the state’s largest city. The National Weather Service confirmed via Twitter that there was no tsunami threat to Anchorage. The USGS noted that the initial quake was followed by eight aftershocks in the vicinity, with two measuring above 6.0 in magnitude.
