17-07-2025
Tsunami advisory issued then cancelled after shallow 7.3-magnitude quake rattles Alaska's south coast
A powerful undersea earthquake struck off the southern coast of Alaska on Wednesday, setting off a tsunami advisory and prompting concern along the state's remote peninsula region.
The tremor, recorded at a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, struck just after midday, approximately 80 km south of the small fishing community of Sand Point, according to data from the United States National Weather Service.
Authorities initially issued a tsunami warning but later downgraded and then cancelled it as more information became available.
Despite this, officials have confirmed that a tsunami was generated, and coastal residents were urged to remain cautious, but widespread coastal flooding is not expected.
A strong earthquake Wednesday off the Alaska coast triggered a tsunami warning. Photo: AP Graphic
'The good news is this event happened in shallow water,' Dave Snider, a tsunami warning coordinator at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told CBS affiliate KTUU-TV.
'We're not expecting to see a large inundation of water coming up on shore.'
The earthquake occurred at a depth of roughly 19 km, and several aftershocks have since rattled the area, according to the US Geological Survey.
The affected coastal stretch includes the Kennedy Entrance, a key waterway connecting the Gulf of Alaska to the Cook Inlet, and extends to Unimak Pass, just west of Unimak Island at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula.
Scenic view of Anchorage in Alaska. Photo: Supplied
Officials in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, confirmed there was no immediate threat to the area as of late Wednesday afternoon.
The main quake was felt widely across southern Alaska, shaking communities along the peninsula.
There are no initial reports of any damage from either the quake or tsunami.
Earlier in the day, a separate magnitude 5.2 tremor was reported roughly 65 km southeast of Atka Island, highlighting the region's seismic volatility.
Alaska sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a horseshoe-shaped zone known for its intense tectonic activity and frequent earthquakes.
The state has a sobering history of seismic disasters.
In March 1964, it was the epicentre of North America's most powerful recorded earthquake which was a catastrophic 9.2 magnitude event that flattened parts of Anchorage and unleashed a deadly tsunami, claiming over 250 lives.
Officials continue to monitor aftershocks and wave activity along the coast as residents remain on edge.
