Thursday, July 17, 2025

A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the southern coast of Alaska on Wednesday, shaking the ground and prompting a tsunami warning over a wide, sparsely populated area. The shaking lasted for about 30 seconds; the quake’s epicenter, about 54 miles south of Sand Point, a small community right off the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, was centered more than 400 miles southwest of Anchorage.

The earthquake itself was shallow, about 20 kilometers this means its shake was also stronger near the surface. Shallower earthquakes shake more intensely, a risk to communities and infrastructure closest to the quake’s source. The strong earthquake was also felt, and many residents reported strong shaking and aftershocks that rumbled into the night and early morning hours after the initial quake.

Minutes after the quake, the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) issued a tsunami warning across South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula. [The alert was for] Kennedy Entrance to the southwest of Homer and up to Unimak Pass to the northeast of Unalaska. “It’s higher here because we’re close to the ocean and the tectonics of the Pacific Ocean is active here.”

A tsunami was reported to have been observed following the earthquake, the NTWC said, but it did not immediately provide details on the size of the waves or any damage that was reported. Officials stressed that the tsunami risk was limited to parts of the Alaska coast and that there were no risks elsewhere in the Pacific. Japanese authorities continued to monitor the situation in the days that followed, remaining on the lookout for aftershocks and possible further manifestations of the tsunami’s impact.

Alaska lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire where tremors and volcanic eruptions are commonplace. Located on the arc of not less than a few massive tectonic plates — including the Pacific Plate — the area is routinely shaken with a cornucopia of natural disasters, most notably earthquakes. Alaska has many tremors each year, but the larger, more damaging ones like the quake on Wednesday are rarer (though they can be particularly destructive).

Some of the most powerful earthquakes in recorded history have struck Alaska. In 1964, Alaska was struck by a tremendous 9.2 magnitude earthquake that ravaged Anchorage and unleashed deadly tsunamis, killing over 250 people. It is still the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America. It has been decades since the last of those, but the fear of another big quake is an ever-present worry for Alaska, where earthquake preparedness is a priority for officials and residents alike.

Just over a year ago, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake also struck the Alaska Peninsula, in July 2023. That earthquake was fortunately of little impact, no lives were lost. But the relatively superficial nature of the earthquake on Wednesday has been more concerning, particularly with the possibility of a devastating tsunami. The region has seen several strong quakes in the decades since, a painful reminder that even years later, the region remains in danger of settling down in one of the world’s most seismically active areas.

Alaska’s officials and residents are versed in how to prepare for a quake. A few coastal tsunami evacuation routes have been designated and local officials are still trying to ensure that the public is educated of what to do in the event of a major earthquake or tsunami. Local responders participate in table-tops to get ready for the Big One and other events.

The earthquake shocks were sensibly felt and fatal in some, localities. Some buildings and infrastructure in and around the epicenter in Sand Point sustained minor damage; its scope was still being evaluated at the time of publication. Local councils and authorities are working together to access, assess and maintain key infrastructure such as bridges and roads so they are safe for travel for evacuation and response.

And, has a preventative measure, local governments have been working closely with the National Tsunami Warning Center so people can stay up to date on what’s going on. NTWC has also released social media post and public information releases providing updated information regarding potential tsunami threats and evacuation orders. The drama unfolds like this while authorities are on high alert waiting anxiously for the movement of earthquakes and tsunamis.

But the tsunami warning has since been “downgraded,” and the most immediate threat of a jolting wave has receded. But for now, as of the moment I’m writing these words, search-and-rescue teams are in fact doing all those things correctly and still searching everything based on what people who have survived the earthquake have reported as the last places where trapped people have been heard from, and sucking up every little piece of intelligence available to that end, and are prepared for aftershocks. A lot of people in Alaska have been very, very hard hit by that and I think first responders and local officials have been doing an incredible job, keeping their guard up and keeping on top of things and trying to help people cope with that natural disaster.

— The earthquake Wednesday is another painful reminder about how vulnerable Alaska is to these sorts of natural scourges. Being that it lay near the most active region in the world for earthquakes, preparations for an earthquake should remain high on the list of priorities for the state and local representatives. Besides, people who live with earthquake really live with them stand together after they happen and the world around them is altered… and ruined.

This time, the big earthquake came in another part of Alaska, a magnitude 7.3 event that struck in the waters off the state’s southern coast on Friday, sending tsunami warnings across the region as a stark and scary reminder of just how vulnerable the vast state is to the quakes that are caused by shifting tectonic plates. While the quake seemed not to have resulted in much damage so far, it was a vivid reminder of the ongoing seismic risk in the area, and the importance of maintaining readiness. Through vigilance and local action we’ve got the people of Alaska as prepared as they can be.”

In the even shorter run, the most immediate tsunami threat has abated and attention has turned to recovery, but while seismic risk in Alaska never goes away, complacency must never be an option.

Source: minutemirror.com.pk