7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Alaska
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 occurred just off the coast of southeastern Alaska shortly after 10 p.m. local time Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
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Following this earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued for portions of the Alaska coast. However, the warning was canceled by 12:30 a.m. local time. The temblor and ensuing tsunami warnings did cause some Alaskans to scramble to higher ground, the Anchorage Daily News reported. This was mainly in the communities of Kodiak, Sand Point, Unalaska and Homer, the Daily News said.
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The quake's epicenter was located about 65 miles southeast of the coastal town of Perryville, Alaska, and more than 520 miles from Anchorage. The depth of the quake was about 17 miles (28 km).
Kodiak Police Sgt. Mike Sorter told The Associated Press early Wednesday that there were no reports of damage. "No injuries were reported. Everything is nominal," he said.
The tsunami warning stretched from South Alaska to the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula, the AP said.
Michael West, a seismologist with the Alaska Earthquake Center, told Daily News that the 7.8 temblor was "something like 15 times more energy than was released in the 2018 Anchorage earthquake," which produced significant damage in the state, including in Anchorage. Officials with the earthquake center didn't expect much damage from shaking since the quake occurred offshore, the Daily News said.
"These are the style of earthquakes which can be very tsunami-producing," West said.
Shaking was felt throughout the Alaska Peninsula. Weak shaking was felt around the Kenai Peninsula and in Anchorage. There was even one report of weak shaking in Fairbanks, some 774 miles away.
A short time later, a second earthquake was felt in Kodiak, Alaska. The magnitude of this second earthquake was not immediately known, but more earthquakes and aftershocks will be possible throughout Thursday morning given the strength of the initial quake.
There was never any tsunami threat to Hawaii or along the remainder of the West coast of the United States in the aftermath of the quake.
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