ALBAWABA - A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska late Saturday, leading the US Tsunami Warning System to issue a tsunami warning.
National Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement: “Tsunami warning in effect for South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles SW of Homer) to Unman Pass, Alaska (80 miles NE of Unalaska)".
The "notable quake" was initially read at a 7.4 magnitude, but this was revised to 7.2 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The initial depth of 9.3km (5.78 miles) was also revised to 32.6 km (20.3 miles) a short time later.
Videos of the moment the quake struck the island have been circulating social media, but no injuries have been recorded.
This comes after a minor earthquake shook the Anchorage area in Alaska, two weeks earlier. According to the USGS, the quake occurred around 12 miles south of the city and two miles south of Eagle River. However, no casualties or property damage were recorded at the time. According to USGS data, the earthquake was 17.5 miles deep and occurred after another one was registered on the West Coast.
In March 1964, the island was struck by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake, the biggest ever recorded in North America. It destroyed Anchorage and caused a tsunami that pounded the Gulf of Alaska, the US west coast, and Hawaii. The quake and tsunami killed around 250 people.
