Alaska earthquake 2014 struck the Aleutian Islands Monday, prompting tsunami warnings and eventual evacuation of town residents near the epicenter. The magnitude 7.9 Alaska earthquake 2014 was near Little Sitkin Island in the far western part of the Aleutian Island chain, just west of the International Date Line.
The Weather Channel reports that the Alaska earthquake 2014 struck at 12:53 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time (4:53 p.m. Eastern time).
According to CNN, first estimates set by the U.S. Geological Survey of the Alaska earthquake 2014 was at magnitude 8.0, but the center eventually set it at magnitude 7.9. According to seismologists, the Alaska earthquake 2014 had a depth of 71 miles.
The first Jun. 23 Alaska earthquake 2014 tsunami measurement arrived from Amchitka, Alaska, about 25 miles from the quake's epicenter. A 0.6 foot tsunami was later recorded at 1:36 p.m. local time. Other nearby communities also reported tsunami with heights of 0.2 to 0.6 feet.
Meanwhile, Ian Dickson, website manager for the Alaska Earthquake Information Center said there had been no reports of any damage from the Alaska earthquake 2014, either in Adak or on Shemya Island.
Dickson also said that there were 17 measurable aftershocks two hours later. However, the USGS have confirmed a total of 21 aftershocks four hours after the mainshock from the Alaska earthquake 2014.
The USGS added that the aftershocks from the Alaska earthquake 2014 were composed of two initial significant aftershocks. These two measured magnitudes 6.0 and 5.8 and occurred 18 and 37 minutes after the mainshock respectively. Four hours later, a magnitude-6.9 aftershock shook the same area.
Due to the Alaska earthquake 2014 aftershocks, the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska issued a tsunami warning in an area of the Aleutians. The NTWC bulletin said, 'Widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents are possible and may continue for hours after tsunami arrival.'
City Manager Layton Lockett told CNN that after the tsunami warning from the Alaska earthquake 2014 was issued, about 300 town residents of Adak evacuated to a nearby hill, a shelter which rises 600 feet from sea level.
Successful evacuations have occurred in St. Paul, St. George, Adak and Atka. No #tsunami reported in Shemya yet.
— NWS Alaska Region (@NWSAlaska) June 23, 2014
The Associated Press was able to ask City Manager Layton Lockett regarding the evacuations from the Alaska earthquake 2014. He said via phone, 'We're seeing water leave our bay, so we do have everybody up on the Bering Hill area, where our primary evacuation center is at.'
Less than two hours after the Alaska earthquake 2014, the tsunami warning was later downgraded to a less-serious advisory at 2:44 p.m. local time. Experts eventually said that a destructive tsunami is not possible.
By 4:35 p.m. local time on the same day as the Alaska earthquake 2014 and the warning and advisories, all tsunami advisories have been cancelled.
Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington have also been excluded from the tsunami risk as the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the Alaska quake was too deep to pose a tsunami danger to these areas.
According to the Associated Press, Spokesman Jeremy Zidek for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said there have been no reports of damage from the Alaska earthquake 2014 or the small tsunami.
Alaska earthquake 2014 may have been no cause for tsunami risks or further alarm, but the state has experienced several large earthquakes in the past which had devastating outcomes. In 1964, a magnitude-9.2 Good Friday earthquake near Anchorage, caused over 100 tsunami deaths in Alaska, five in Oregon, and 13 in California.
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