A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 that rocked Washington state in the United States briefly issued a tsunami warning for southern Alaska. Residents in the Aleutian Islands, Alaskan Peninsula, and Cook Inlet felt the vibrations, which alarmed them.
Significant Earthquake Strikes Alaska
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) posted on social media that a significant earthquake struck at 10:48 p.m. local time on Saturday, around 106 kilometers south of Sand Point, Alaska. The public was swiftly alerted to the seismic activity by the USGS’s earthquake notification Twitter account, which initially reported a magnitude of 7.3 before later upgrading it to 7.4.
The Alaska Earthquake Centre kept an eye on the situation after the earthquake and verified reports of powerful tremors throughout the impacted areas. In Kodiak, Alaska, sirens went off in reaction to seismic activity and the potential for a tsunami, warning locals to take cover in the early morning.
Tsunami Warning Swiftly Issued
A tsunami warning was swiftly issued by the US National Weather Service, taking into consideration the earthquake’s 21 km depth. However, the advice was revised and subsequently discontinued about an hour later. The public was also informed by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency that there was no danger to the islands.
A temporary tsunami advisory was issued because of the strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Washington state and caused tremors to spread to Alaska. Residents were kept informed and protected thanks to monitoring organizations’ prompt responses and efficient information transmission through social media and emergency warnings. The experience serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of earthquakes and the significance of preparing in areas vulnerable to seismic activity, even if the tsunami alert was ultimately withdrawn.
