Tsunami alert for Hawaii dropped as 8.2 magnitude earthquake hits Alaska
29 July 2021, 10:28 | Updated: 29 July 2021, 11:16
A tsunami warning issued for Hawaii has been dropped after an 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck southeast of Chignik in Alaska.
A tsunami warning was instead issued for parts of Alaska after the large earthquake hit its peninsula.
The US National Tsunami Warning Centre put warnings in place for South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, but they were cancelled too.
It comes after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) listed the quake with a magnitude of 8.1, saying "an investigation is under way to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii".
However, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said it was an 8.2 magnitude quake, hitting 56 miles east-southeast of Perryville, Alaska at around 8:15pm on Wednesday.
All #Tsunami alerts for the #Alaska coastline have been cancelled.
— NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) July 29, 2021
Remember, strong and unusual currents may continue for several hours. If you have damage, please report it to your local officials.
Stay safe, get some rest, and we'll keep the watch for you. Good night. https://t.co/wzUBu4ysK3
The quake was around 29 miles below the surface of the ocean, the USGS explained.
That said, it would have been widely felt by almost everyone in the area of the epicentre, according to preliminary seismic data.
Within half an hour, two more quakes occurred, with preliminary magnitudes of 6.2 and 5.6.
The PTWC revealed that potential threats to Guam and American Samoa were also under investigation.
"Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicentre," the PTWC said.
