ALASKA: A tsunami warning has been issued for coastal areas of Alaska and British Columbia from the border of Washington State to Attu, Alaska, the Anchorage Office of Emergency Management says.
The warning was issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2 hit 175 miles southeast of Kodiak City, Alaska.
“If you are located in this coastal area, move inland to higher ground,” the office said. “Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is possible or is already occurring. Tsunamis are a series of waves dangerous many hours after initial arrival time. The first wave may not be the largest.”
US authorities issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of Alaska after a 7.9 earthquake hit the Gulf of Alaska on Tuesday. Parts of Canada’s British Columbia also face a tsunami risk.
“If you are located in this coastal area, move inland to higher ground,” Anchorage Office of Emergency Management said. “Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is possible or is already occurring.”
“The first wave may not be largest,” the officials added.
Scientists located the epicenter of the earthquake some 280 kilometres (174 miles) southeast of Kodiak, Alaska, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The US Geological Survey previously measured the quake’s magnitude at 8.2 before revising it to 7.9 later on. The National Weather Service sent out an alert to cellphones in Alaska, reading: “Emergency Alert, Tsunami danger on the coast, Go to high ground or move inland.”
Hawaii on ‘tsunami watch’
Authorities also issued a lower-level “tsunami watch” warning for the entire US west coast and Hawaii.
“Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.
The quake hit early in the morning local time.