Tsunami Advisory Issued For Alaska After 7.3-magnitude Earthquake Off Aleutians

A ample agelong of nan Alaska seashore was connected watch for a tsunami Wednesday aft a 7.3-magintude earthquake disconnected nan Aleutian Islands, officials said.

The earthquake struck astatine 12:38 p.m. section clip (4:38 p.m. ET), and its epicenter was 55 miles southbound of Sand Point, a organization connected Popof Island, according to nan U.S. Tsunami Warning Center. It had a extent of 12 miles.

No tsunami readings were instantly available, and Kodiak Island was not expected to spot immoderate imaginable effects until 2:40 section clip (6:40 p.m. ET).

Widespread inundation from nan tsunami is not expected, nan Tsunami Warning Center said, but beardown currents aliases waves that are vulnerable to group very adjacent nan h2o were expected.

An first tsunami informing was changed to a tsunami advisory.

The advisory covered a agelong of seashore from Unimak Pass successful nan Aleutians to nan Kennedy Entrance, which is 40 miles southbound of Homer.

Emergency officials successful Kodiak, a metropolis of astir 5,500 connected Kodiak Island astir 250 miles southbound of Anchorage, announced shelters would beryllium opened and sirens would sound earlier nan informing was downgraded.

"The sirens will extremity sounding. Please proceed to usage be aware astatine aliases adjacent nan coast," Kodiak Island Emergency Management said connected societal media.

There was nary threat to Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, emergency officials said aft nan earthquake.

The metropolis administrator for Sand Point, Debi Schmidt, told NBC connection KTUU of Anchorage that nan earthquake was nan astir powerful she’s ever felt.

“I was astatine location for luncheon and nan location was shaking and things were falling, and cupboard doors were coming open,” she told nan station. “No damage, though.”