7.3 magnitude earthquake in Alaska prompts tsunami warning
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7.3 magnitude earthquake in Alaska prompts tsunami warning

The quake strikes south of Sand Point, a community of about 600 people on Popof Island

Alaska tsunami after 7.3 magnitude earthquake

A driver passes the small boat harbor in King Cove, Alaska, Sept. 23, 2013. (James Brooks/Kodiak Daily Mirror via AP)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Communities in areas along a 700-mile (1,127-km) stretch of Alaska’s southern coast ordered residents to higher ground after a powerful earthquake Wednesday, but officials quickly downgraded a tsunami warning for the region. There were no immediate reports of significant damage.

The earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, struck at 12:37 p.m. local time south of Sand Point, a community of about 600 people on Popof Island, in the Aleutian chain, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. The first waves were projected to land there, but the state’s emergency management division said an hour after the quake that it had received no reports of damage.

“We have seen other earthquakes in the area that have not generated significant tsunami waves, but we’re treating it seriously and going through our procedures, making sure communities are notified so they can activate their evacuation procedures,” division spokesperson Jeremy Zidek said.

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The quake was felt as far away as Anchorage, almost 600 miles (966 km) to the northeast.

Alaska tsunami

The National Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for an area stretching from about 40 miles (64.4 km) southwest of Homer to Unimak Pass, a distance of about 700 miles (1,126 kilometers). Among the larger communities in the area is Kodiak, with a population of about 5,200. The warning was downgraded to an advisory about an hour later, and canceled just before 2:45 p.m.

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