Powerful undersea earthquake prompts Alaska residents to scramble for higher ground

A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck about 170 miles southeast of Kodiak, Alaska early Tuesday morning, sending residents of the picturesque island fleeing to higher ground to avoid tsunami waves. The quake also prompted tsunami alerts along the West Coast of the U.S. and Hawaii, but those were canceled after data showed damaging waves were not expected. 

Since the first quake hit there have been several aftershocks, some of which have been strong earthquakes themselves, with a magnitude of up to 5.3 on the Richter Scale. Reports indicated water fluctuating by up to 1 foot in a channel that feeds into Kodiak Harbor, but no large, damaging waves.  Read more…

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