Magnitude 8.0 earthquake strikes near Alaska, tsunami warnings issued
File photo/Wikipedia
Digital Reporter
Monday, June 23, 2014, 7:03 PM - A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska Monday afternoon, prompting tsunami warnings along coastal communities from Nikolski to Attu.
Those were later downgraded to tsunami advisories.
While it was initially thought the quake could impact B.C., Emergency Info B.C. later tweeted the tremor posed no risk to the province.
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"Widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents are possible and may continue for many hours after tsunami arrival," NOAA says in a statement.
"The first tsunami wave may not be the largest."
And initial approximate travel times. Look for gauges along the BC coast to register an amplitude change in 5-6 hours pic.twitter.com/I1RalqLCfY
— 50 Shades of Van (@50ShadesofVan) June 23, 2014
The quake occurred at a depth of about 100 kilometres, so it's unlikely the shaking was felt.
"The depth of this earthquake will limit the extent of tsunami danger," NOAA says.
At 2 p.m. local time, the community of Adak, Alaska reported water leaving the harbour, according to the National Weather Service.
Residents have been moved to higher ground.
Roughly an hour after the quake, Amchitka, Alaska reported a tsunami of of 0.6 feet.
EARTHQUAKE HITS NEW ZEALAND
Earlier Monday, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the coast of New Zealand.
There have been no reports of significant damage or injuries. The quake did not trigger any tsunami warnings.
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