Latest news with #earthquake
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Powerful 7.3 earthquake rocks Alaska — scientists say more are coming
A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck offshore of Alaska's Peninsula region on July 16, 2025, at 12:37 PM local time, prompting immediate tsunami warnings and evacuations across multiple coastal communities. Hitting 55 miles south of Sand Point, Alaska, the earthquake was felt across a vast area, extending from the immediate epicenter to major cities like Anchorage and Juneau. The earthquake's effects varied dramatically across Alaska's expansive coastline. In tiny Sand Point, the closest community to the epicenter with about 600 residents, locals reported objects flying from pantries and shelves as the ground shook violently. Homer residents described the motion as "mild rolling" with lamps and plants swaying gently. Despite the significant magnitude, luckily, no major structural damage has been reported in communities nearest to the earthquake's source. Alaska tsunami warning issued — then revoked The human response was swift and coordinated. Within minutes of the earthquake, the National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning covering a 700-mile stretch of Alaska's southern coast. Communities from Sand Point to Unalaska quickly activated evacuation procedures, with residents moving to higher ground as a precautionary measure. Video footage on social media showed orderly evacuations in Seward, where tourists and locals alike walked uphill to safety zones. (Alaskan residents are pretty good at this by now!) "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," explained Jeremy Zidek, spokesperson for Alaska's emergency management division. The tsunami warning initially covered communities from 40 miles southwest of Homer to Unimak Pass, affecting major population centers including Kodiak (population 5,200), King Cove (870 residents), and Unalaska (4,100 residents). The U.S. Coast Guard evacuated personnel at its Kodiak base to higher ground as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, the Alaska earthquake generated only minimal water level changes and damage reports remained surprisingly minimal. Sand Point Police Chief Benjamin Allen confirmed no damage to critical infrastructure, including the airport and harbor. The most notable damage occurred at the Alaska Commercial general store, where about half of the alcohol aisle crashed to the floor, creating what manager Vickey McDonald described as a "horrendous" smell from broken bottles of barbecue sauce, pickles, and other liquids. This limited damage pattern reflects both Alaska's experience with seismic activity and the earthquake's offshore location, which reduced the intensity of ground shaking in populated areas. The warning system also worked as designed — officials downgraded the tsunami warning to an advisory within an hour, and completely canceled all alerts by 2:45 PM. The advisory system warned people to stay away from beaches and waterways until the all-clear was given. More earthquakes possible — even likely Naturally, travelers and residents should prepare for continued seismic activity in the region. The U.S. Geological Survey's Aftershock Forecast indicates that at least one magnitude 6 or greater earthquake is possible within the next week, with smaller earthquakes highly likely to continue for the foreseeable future. This prediction reflects the nature of major earthquakes, which typically generate extended sequences of aftershocks as surrounding rock formations adjust to their new stress patterns. While most aftershocks will be smaller than the main event, some can still be significant enough to cause additional concern. For travelers planning visits to Alaska's southern coast, it's important to understand that this region remains seismically active. The Alaska Earthquake Center works continuously with communities to provide tsunami hazard information and evacuation procedures. Visitors should familiarize themselves with local emergency procedures and evacuation routes, particularly in coastal areas. Lastly, this Alaska earthquake serves as a reminder of the state's position in one of the world's most seismically active regions. The strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America occurred in this area in March 1964, when a 9.2-magnitude earthquake devastated Anchorage and generated a tsunami that killed more than 250 people. Modern monitoring systems and community preparedness have significantly improved since then, as demonstrated by the coordinated response to yesterday's event. The Alaska Earthquake Center provides ongoing monitoring and community education, helping ensure that future earthquakes can be managed with the same effectiveness demonstrated during this latest event. Hopefully, we can stay lucky into the future.
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Telegraph style book: Rr
R racket and racquet: A tennis player uses his racquet while the fans make a racket rainforest Ramadan: Is observed by Muslims rather than celebrated Ramblers' Association Ray-Ban rebut: To offer evidence supporting a contrary view Red Wall: Not 'red wall' referendums: Not referenda. Also stadiums, not stadia refute: Does not mean deny. It means disprove, and, therefore, means the writer has decided who is telling the truth Regent's Park Rees-Mogg, Sir Jacob register office: Not registry Republic, Irish: But Irish republican Resurrection: Requires a capital R in biblical contexts Reuters Rhys Jones, Griff: Any reference to the family of the Countess of Wessex is to Rhys-Jones Richter scale: Scale of measurement often used to assess extent of earthquakes. Also Mercalli scale, used to measure earthquake intensity from one to 12 (catastrophic) Richthofen, Baron Manfred von: The Red Baron Riley, life of Rime of the Ancient Mariner Rogers, Lord: Architect Rodgers and Hammerstein Rolls-Royce: With hyphen, whether cars or aircraft engines Roller-blade: A trade name. Rollerblade can be used as a verb to describe the particular form of roller skating Roman Catholic always at first mention rottweilers Rovers Return (no apostrophe) Rubik's cube
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tsunami warnings canceled after massive earthquake off Alaska triggers threat for US coastline
SAND POINT, Alaska – A massive magnitude 7.3 earthquake that shook off the coast of a group of Alaskan islands on Wednesday afternoon triggered a small tsunami, officials said. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake happened at 12:37 p.m. local time and was pinpointed roughly 54 miles from Sand Point, Alaska, centered about 12 miles deep. Just after the quake, NOAA's National Tsunami Warning Center issued Tsunami Warnings for the immediate Alaska coastline from Kennedy Entrance to Unimak Pass, including all of Kodiak Island, Chignik and Cold Bay. The U.S. Coast Guard reported it evacuated personnel from its base at Kodiak to higher ground and had two air crews stand ready to assist. The agency initially said a tsunami of up to about a foot was possible and alerted those inside the warning that some local impacts could be expected. However, the warning was downgraded to an advisory a little over an hour later as the threat waned, then eventually canceled. A buoy measured a small tsunami at Sand Point, sensing a water rise of just 0.2 feet, or about 3 inches, according to NOAA. What Is A Tsunami? "A tsunami was generated by this event, but no longer poses a threat," the Tsunami Warning Center said. "Some areas may continue to see small sea level changes." There are no initial reports of any damage from either the quake or tsunami. "The entire southern coast of Alaska is a gigantic earthquake zone," said Michael West, seismologist with the Alaska Earthquake Center. "Four out of five earthquakes in the United States happen in Alaska." West said earthquakes happen frequently in that area, though not all of them are as large or even felt at all. "Early signs suggest we're on the lucky side today," he said. 20 Years Later: A Look At The Deadliest Disaster To Strike Earth In Modern History Tsunamis are a series of dangerous waves that can occur after massive movements in terrain, such as earthquakes or landslides. West said seismologists and the Tsunami Warning Center will continue to gather data on the article source: Tsunami warnings canceled after massive earthquake off Alaska triggers threat for US coastline
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Tsunami advisory issued in parts of Alaska after 7.3-magnitude earthquake
A stretch of Alaska's southern coast was under a tsunami advisory on Wednesday after a strong earthquake was felt throughout the region. The US Geological Survey described the earthquake as a magnitude 7.3. After the quake, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami warning, which it later downgraded to an advisory. The US Tsunami Center said the advisory was in effect from about 40 miles (64.4km) south-west of Homer to Unimak Pass, a distance of about 700 miles (1,126.5km). The area is sparsely populated – among the larger communities in the area is Kodiak, which is home to 5,200 people. Meanwhile, officials in the Pacific north-west were evaluating whether there was any threat to coastlines there. The first waves were projected to hit the village of Sand Point, a community of about 580 people on Popof Island, in the Aleutian chain. 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,' spokesperson Jeremy Zidek said. In Unalaska, a fishing community of about 4,100 people, officials also urged people to move at least 50ft above sea level, one mile (1.6km) inland. In King Cove, which has about 870 residents on the south side of the Alaska Peninsula, officials sent an alert calling on those in the coastal area to move to higher ground. In a social media post, the Kodiak police department urged residents to utilize emergency shelters in the local elementary and high school 'if you need to evacuate from the inundation zone', the Anchorage Daily News reported. In a social media post, Washington Emergency Management wrote that 'there is NO DANGER for Washington state from this earthquake in Alaska' after analyzing data from Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (Dart) buoys. Oahu Emergency Management added in a similar post that their is no threat to Hawaii either. Although Anchorage residents may have received an emergency alert, there is no threat to Alaska's largest city, Anchorage Emergency Management wrote on social media.
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Magnitude 5.8 earthquake hits off Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara
JAKARTA: A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit off Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province on Thursday, with a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) depth and no tsunami potential, the country's geophysics agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage.
