Tsunami Warning Issued in Alaska After 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Triggers Evacuation

People in Alaska have been told to flee their homes after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami warning. The evacuation zone in the remote cities of Sand Point, Cold Bay, Sand, and Kodiak is located on Popof Island around 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. Sirens rang out and radio stations interrupted their broadcasts with warning messages as a tsunami was declared ‘imminent’ by the National Weather Service. The warning was later downgraded to an advisory, according to the agency. Residents were being urged to flee inland or find higher ground if possible.

A Tsunami Warning has been issued for the Alaska Peninsula areas from the Kennedy Entrance to Unimak Pass. The huge earthquake struck 54 miles south of Sand Point, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Several more smaller quakes were recorded at Sand Point following the warning. Snapchat users posted videos of the water receding off the coast, a tell-tale sign that a big wave was coming as others fled inland. But the National Tsunami Warning Center later downgraded the warning to a tsunami advisory alert. They said: ‘Tsunami advisories mean that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to people in or very near the water is expected. Significant widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.’