Alaska’s southern coast was placed under a tsunami advisory on Wednesday following a powerful earthquake in the region. The US Geological Survey classified the quake as a magnitude 7.3, leading the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to initially issue a tsunami warning, which was subsequently downgraded to an advisory. The advisory affected an area spanning from approximately 40 miles southwest of Homer to Unimak Pass, a stretch of around 700 miles. This area is sparsely populated, with Kodiak, home to 5,200 residents, being one of the larger communities in the vicinity.
Officials in the Pacific Northwest were assessing the potential risk to their coastlines. The initial waves were forecasted to reach Sand Point, a community of about 580 people on Popof Island in the Aleutian chain, with no reports of damage filed an hour after the quake. Spokesperson Jeremy Zidek emphasized that while other earthquakes in the area hadn’t produced significant tsunami waves, the situation was being taken seriously and communities were being notified to prepare their evacuation plans.
In Unalaska, a fishing community of approximately 4,100 people, authorities advised residents to stay at least 50 feet above sea level and a mile inland. Similarly, in King Cove, which has about 870 residents, officials issued alerts urging those in the coastal area to move to higher ground. The Kodiak police department also advised residents to use emergency shelters in local schools if they needed to evacuate from the inundation zone.
Washington Emergency Management declared that there was no danger to Washington state from the earthquake after evaluating data from Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis buoys. Oahu Emergency Management similarly confirmed there was no threat to Hawaii. Anchorage Emergency Management also clarified that there was no threat to Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, despite residents possibly receiving an emergency alert.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/16/alaska-earthquake-tsunami-warning
