Tsunami warning for thousands of Americans as major 7.3 earthquake hits off US coast

A major 7.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Alaska, triggering a tsunami alert for thousands of residents.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the quake at approximately 12:38pm local time (4:30 PM ET), centered in the Pacific Ocean just south of the Alaska Peninsula near the Shumagin Islands, southeast of Sand Point. 

The tsunami advisory covers coastal areas of southwestern Alaska, including communities from Kennedy Entrance near Homer to Unimak Pass near Unalaska.

There are potential impacts on Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula, and parts of the eastern Aleutian Islands. 

While sparse, this region is home to an thousands of people who were alert through the sound of blaring sirens and text message notifications.

Residents along Alaska’s coastline raced to higher ground, abandoning their homes after officials urged immediate evacuation.

Dramatic images show an eerily bare shoreline, the ocean having suddenly vanished, a chilling sign that a tsunami could be moments away.

The USGS earthquake tracker shows an explosion of aftershocks near the epicenter, ranging in magnitude from a 5.2 to 2.7. 

The tsunami could hit coastal areas of southwestern Alaska, including communities from Kennedy Entrance near Homer to Unimak Pass near Unalaska, with potential impact on Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula and parts of the eastern Aleutian Islands

The US Tsunami Center said the warning was in effect from about 40 miles southwest of Homer (pictured) to Unimak Pass, a distance of about 700 miles. 

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a statement confirming there is no tsunami threat to Oregon, Washington, or other US states outside Alaska.

However, the agency is urging Alaskans to move out of the water, off the beach, and away from harbors, marinas, breakwaters, bays and inlets as a precaution.

‘If you feel a strong earthquake or extended ground rolling, take immediate protective actions such as moving inland and/or uphill, preferably by foot,’ the agency added.

The NTWC said the advisory covers an area stretching approximately 700 miles, from about 40 miles southwest of Homer to Unimak Pass.

Kodiak, with a population of around 5,200, is one of the largest communities within the advisory zone.

In King Cove, a coastal town of about 870 residents on the south side of the Alaska Peninsula, officials issued an alert urging people in low-lying areas to move to higher ground.

A resident of Seward, a port city in southern Alaska, shared a video on X, saying she just returned to the state after 25 years and is now facing a tsunami.

The footage shows her and a group of people walking away from the coast, up to high ground.

‘Just pray we don’t get waved,’ she said before ending the video. 

A major 7.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Alaska , triggering a tsunami alert for thousands of residents. Pictured is Sand Point, which is under the alert

The initial alert issued a full tsunami warning, but the threat was downgraded to a tsunami advisory roughly 90 minutes after the quake struck.

A tsunami warning means a tsunami is imminent or expected, posing a significant threat of widespread coastal flooding and powerful currents.

A tsunami advisory, on the other hand, indicates that while significant inundation is not expected, strong currents and dangerous waves remain a serious concern.

Despite the downgrade from a warning to an advisory, the USGS map showing impacted areas has not changed since the initial alert.

The last time Alaska experienced an earthquake of similar magnitude was on June 10, 1996, when a magnitude 7.2 quake struck near the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian chain.

The most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Alaska, and in US history, was the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 9.2.

That massive quake struck near Prince William Sound and was felt as far away as Seattle. 

It also generated devastating tsunamis that caused widespread damage along coastlines in Alaska, Oregon, California, Hawaii, and even as far as Japan.