A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the Alaska Peninsula on Monday afternoon, triggering a tsunami warning in the region that has since been downgraded to an advisory, according to officials. Some schools were also evacuated. There were no immediate reports of damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 1:54 p.m. PT some 56 miles southeast of Sand Hill and nearly 600 miles southwest of Anchorage. The earthquake had a depth of about 25 miles. Several larger aftershocks were also recorded at magnitudes 5.8, 5.7, 5.2 and 5.5.
Emergency sirens were activated in Alaska and the Kodiak Emergency Operations Center is monitoring, CBS affiliate KTVA-TV reported. Police in the city of Homer urged residents in low elevation areas to move to higher ground.
KTVA-TV said some schools outside Homer had been evacuated.
“Right now, with everybody evacuating, it’s really important they wear masks and keep a little bit of distance because we’ve got high risk down in the southern Kenai Peninsula now too,” a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District spokesman said of the precautions being taken amid the coronavirus pandemic.
David Adams, a co-manager of a bed and breakfast in Sand Point, told The Associated Press that the quake “was a pretty good shaker here” and said “the structure itself is sound.” He also said that all guests were accounted for. “It just kind of happened all of a sudden,” he added.
A Cold Bay, Alaska, resident shared video from her living room as she and her three children huddled under a table as the quake rattled their home, KTVA-TV said.
“We are getting very accustomed to these earthquakes, and I’ve learned to just accept that this is what we have to endure when we decide to live between volcanoes and an active plate, the ring of fire,” Candace Nielsen told the station.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles and San Diego said there was no tsunami threat to the West Coast.
In July, a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Alaska and prompted a tsunami warning, which was canceled several hours later.
