SAND POINT, ALASKA – In the cloak of Alaska Daylight Time, precisely at 10:48 PM on July 15, 2023, an earthquake of significant magnitude, registering 7.4 on the Richter scale, rocked the vicinity, making its epicenter approximately 55 miles southwest of Sand Point, Alaska, and 615 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, with precise coordinates of 54.4N, 160.8W.
The temblor struck from the depths, emanating its power from about 13 miles beneath the surface. Nature’s upheaval unleashed seismic tremors that reverberated throughout the area, arousing apprehension within coastal communities.
Swiftly responding to the seismic crisis, the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) took action, issuing urgent Tsunami Warnings for the affected localities, highlighting the imperative nature for residents to safeguard their lives and heed the evacuation directives.
The purview of the Tsunami Warning blankets coastal Alaska, enshrouding regions from south Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula to the Pacific coastal areas of Kennedy Entrance, Alaska, approximately 40 miles southwest of Homer, Alaska, extending towards Unimak Pass, Alaska, located roughly 80 miles northeast of Unalaska, Alaska.
Forecasters anticipate the Tsunami’s impact to materialize in the following Alaskan locations at the specified dates and times:
- Sand Point, Alaska — 12:10 AM Alaska Daylight Time on July 16th
- Kodiak, Alaska — 12:35 AM Alaska Daylight Time on July 16th
- Cold Bay, Alaska — 1:35 AM Alaska Daylight Time on July 16th
Tsunami events harbor the potential to inflict considerable damage and jeopardize lives, underscoring the paramount importance for coastal inhabitants to remain well-informed and prepared. Authorities are actively engaged in evaluating the unfolding situation and will disseminate further updates as additional information comes to light.
Residents residing within or near coastal areas are urged to remain composed and promptly relocate to higher ground, far away from the coastline or seek refuge on higher floors of multi-story structures.
Observing the tsunami from the shore is discouraged, and individuals should refrain from returning to the coast until local emergency officials affirm the safety of doing so. It is imperative to comprehend that the initial wave might not be the most formidable, and each tsunami wave could endure for a duration of 5 to 45 minutes, as the wave advances and recedes.
