Saturday night around 10:48 pm, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska near Sand Point.
The United States Geological Survey released this news on social media shortly after the quake occurred.
Aftershocks in the same area included one measuring 5.0 magnitude within three minutes of the original quake as reported by KTUU-TV.
🚨#BREAKING: Massive Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Sirens Along Alaskan Coastline
📌#KodiakIsland l #Alaska
Sirens were sounding off in response to a tsunami warning. The warning came after a strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the coastline of Alaska. The Tsunami… pic.twitter.com/rccv1h5hgW
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) July 16, 2023
The U.S National Weather Service issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas from Chignik Bay to Unimak Pass due to this powerful earthquake occurring at a depth of 13 miles below ground level.
Thankfully, about an hour later, the agency canceled this warning after realizing that any potential threat had passed and there was no need for further alarm or panic among residents in the affected areas and beyond.
Alaskan residents aren’t strangers to seismic activity with thousands of earthquakes happening each year; most are too deep and small to be felt by those living nearby though some can be very destructive as was seen in 1964 when 9.2 magnitude earthquake hit Prince William Sound causing extensive damage throughout south-central Alaska–the second-largest quake ever recorded according to Alaska Earthquake Center records.
Social media videos showed citizens of Kodiak racing towards shelters while sirens warned them about possible tsunamis spurred on by this strong tremor which shook all through Aleutian Islands, Alaskan Peninsula and Cook Inlet regions according to Alaska Earthquake Center reports.
