Massive 7.9 Earthquake Hits Alaska, Tsunami Warning Issued

A 7.9-magnitude earthquake detected in the Gulf of Alaska has triggered tsunami warnings in Alaska and tsunami watches across the Pacific Northwest.

The earthquake struck about 175 miles southeast of Kodiak, Alaska, shortly after midnight in Alaska local time, according to preliminary figures from the United States Geological Survey. The quake had a depth of about 6 miles, according to USGS.

A tsunami warning is in effect for southeast and southern Alaska, including the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands, as well as British Columbia in Canada. A tsunami watch is in effect for California, Oregon, and Washington, according to the Tsunami Warning Center. A tsunami watch is also in effect for the Hawaiian Islands, according to the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management.

Nathaniel Moore who was on a boat in Kodiak said he felt it “shake really good for a minute.” He and others on the commercial fishing vessel got off the boat after the earthquake to head for higher ground amid the tsunami warning.

“The whole town is evacuating,” he told CNN early Tuesday.

Heather Rand, who was in Anchorage, Alaska, told CNN that the earthquake “was a slow roller, so it was felt for at least a minute before the real rolling started. Nothing fell off the walls and I didn’t have to wake my kiddo.”

A tsunami can travel upwards of 500 mph so residents in the warning area are advised to stay away from the coastline, and like the pictures from the Japanese tsunami a few years ago pictured below can bring devastating destruction.