The quake was registered some 55 miles (90km) south of Sand Point, Alaska on Monday, at a depth of nearly 25 miles (40km). The National Weather Service announced a tsunami warning for residents in South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula soon after the jolt, but said the risk level is still being evaluated for “other US and Canadian Pacific coasts in North America.”
Just In: A M7.4 quake offshore of Alaska has prompted a Tsumani Warning for some coastal locations including portions of the Kenai Peninsula. 🌊 https://t.co/geV197vvTm
— Mike Hamernik (@MikeHamernik) October 19, 2020
Those in the affected region have been asked to evacuate inland or to higher ground, and to keep away from the coast, as well as harbors, marinas and bays.
BREAKING: M7.5 #earthquake south of the Aleutian Islands triggers #tsunami warning for parts of southern Alaska, including Kodiak, Homer. pic.twitter.com/9Jz6OHFjt3
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) October 19, 2020
A series of aftershocks were recorded not long after the first jolt, the two largest at 5.8 and 5.2 magnitude, both over 60 miles (100km) south of Sand Point, a small city on the Alaska Peninsula with a population of just over 1,000.
Across the Gulf of Alaska, authorities in British Columbia, Canada also said they were assessing the tsunami risk, asking residents to stand by for updates should they be asked to evacuate.
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