Tsunami Alerts for West Coast Canceled

tsunami

tsunami

A 7.9-magnitude earthquake rocked the Gulf of Alaska. This set off a series of tsunami alerts from southern Alaska down to the west coast of North America. The warnings told people in low-lying areas to seek higher ground immediately.

Within four hours the fear the massive temblor could cause a tsunami to hit Alaska or Hawaii subsided. There have not been any reports of injury or property damage from the earthquake.

The temblor shook for 90 seconds, according to the fire chief in Seward, Alaska. He said, “it felt like the washer was off balance.” Seward participated in a controlled evacuation.

The earthquake struck at 4:31 a.m. ET, 181 miles southeast of Kodiak, Alaska. The depth was 6.5 miles, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.

More than 17 aftershocks were recorded, each with magnitudes in the 4 to 5 range. The tsunami watch issued spanned from Washington to California. They were canceled three hours after the quake struck. Later, they were canceled for British Columbia, Canada, Hawaii, and Alaska.

It was predicted the earliest tsunami would have reached Kodiak at 5:45 a.m. and warning sirens sounded throughout the town.  At 6:30 a.m. police reported that the waters were receding from the harbor. Residents were advised to move to higher ground and shelters were opened.

Mayor Pat Branson stated, “We’re very grateful that there wasn’t a tsunami of any kind of magnitude.”

Written by Jeanette Smith

Source:

NBC News: Tsunami warnings, watches issued after Gulf of Alaska earthquake

Image Courtesy of NOAA Photo Library’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

Share:

Send Us A Message