Late on Saturday, a formidable earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale jolted the Alaska peninsula, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The temblor, occurring at 10:48 p.m. local time on Saturday (0648 GMT on Sunday), originated in the vicinity of Sand Point, a small town positioned approximately 55 miles (89 kilometers) southwest of the epicenter. Following the seismic event, a tsunami warning was swiftly issued by the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, encompassing the southern regions of Alaska and the Alaska peninsula. The advisory regarding the level of tsunami threat for other coastal areas in North America, including the Pacific coasts of the United States and Canada, is currently being assessed.
As an integral part of the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, Alaska frequently encounters significant seismic activity. The region bears the grim memory of a catastrophic 9.2-magnitude earthquake that struck in March 1964, which stands as the most potent ever recorded in North America. Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, bore the brunt of the devastation caused by the quake, which also unleashed a massive tsunami that ravaged the Gulf of Alaska, as well as the western coast of the United States and Hawaii. The combined toll of the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami resulted in a tragic loss of over 250 lives.
