A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the U.S. state of Alaska on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami warning, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor occurred at approximately 12:37 PM local time (2037 GMT), with its epicenter located about 54 miles (87 kilometers) south of the island town of Sand Point, according to the USGS. The earthquake had a relatively shallow depth of 20.1 kilometers.
Following the quake, authorities issued a tsunami warning for South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula. “A tsunami has been confirmed and some impacts are expected,” stated the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska. The warning specifically covered “South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles southwest of Homer) to Unimak Pass, Alaska (80 miles northeast of Unalaska),” the center added. Based on initial data, the NTWC confirmed that tsunami warnings were not extended to other regions.
Alaska is situated within the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. In March 1964, the remote state experienced a 9.2-magnitude earthquake—the most powerful ever recorded in North America. That devastating quake obliterated the city of Anchorage and generated a tsunami that impacted the Gulf of Alaska, the U.S. west coast, and Hawaii. More than 250 lives were lost due to the earthquake and its subsequent tsunami. More recently, in July 2023, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the Alaskan Peninsula, though no significant damage was reported at that time.
