7.3-magnitude quake strikes off Alaska, tsunami advisory issued

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the US state of Alaska on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami advisory, the US Geological Survey said.

The earthquake took place at approximately 12:37 local time (2037 GMT), with its epicenter located about 54 miles (87 kilometers) south of the island town of Sand Point, USGS said. The epicenter had a relatively shallow depth of 12.5 miles.

Authorities initially issued a tsunami warning for South Alaska and the Alaska peninsula after the quake, but later downgraded it to a tsunami advisory.

The advisory was issued for “South Alaska And the Alaska Peninsula, Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles SW of Homer) to Unimak Pass, Alaska (80 miles NE of Unalaska),” the the National Tsunami Warning Center said.

People in that area were advised to “move out of the water, off the beach, and away from harbors, marinas, breakwaters, bays and inlets.”

Based on initial information, tsunami warnings were not issued for areas further afield, the NTWC said.

Alaska is part of the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

The remote state was hit by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake in March 1964, the strongest ever recorded in North America.

It devastated the city of Anchorage and unleashed a tsunami that slammed the Gulf of Alaska, the US west coast, and Hawaii, killing scores and causing more than $400 million in property loss.

A 7.2-magnitude quake hit off the Alaskan peninsula in July 2023, with no major damage reported following the tremor.