A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.2 rocked the coastline of Alaska late on Saturday, sparking a short-lived tsunami warning for the state’s southern region, as per the information relayed by officials. The seismic event was pinpointed approximately 65.8 miles to the south of Sand Point, Alaska, at 10:48 p.m., a notification from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on social media revealed.
The tsunami advisory was promptly issued by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) for the coastal regions of Alaska, spanning from Chignik Bay to Unimak Pass. The advisory detailed that the earthquake had its epicenter at a depth of 13 miles. Roughly an hour post the initial alert, the advisory was withdrawn by the agency.
The tremors of the earthquake were felt extensively across the Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula, and the Cook Inlet regions, as reported by the Alaska Earthquake Center. The same area of Alaska experienced approximately eight aftershocks, one of which measured a significant magnitude of 5.0 within mere three minutes following the main seismic event, according to a report from KTUU-TV.
Footage circulating on social media depicted residents of Kodiak hastily making their way to shelters as the sirens echoed the warning of a potential tsunami.
Alaska is not new to seismic activities, with thousands of earthquakes registered each year. However, a majority of these are too minor and deep to make any tangible impact.
Alaska holds the distinction of being the most seismically active state in the U.S. and is also infamous as the site of the second-largest earthquake ever recorded in the world. As per the records of the Alaska Earthquake Center, the Prince William Sound area was hit by a devastating 9.2 magnitude earthquake in 1964, leading to significant damage across south-central Alaska.
