Late Wednesday night, an 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck off southern Alaska, triggering a tsunami watch extending to Hawaii and a warning for parts of Alaska. Within hours, the tsunami threat was lifted, but the quake, the strongest in the U.S. in 50 years, sent residents scrambling for safety. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake occurred around 10:15 p.m., 75 miles southeast of Chignik, Alaska, and was felt across Kodiak Island and the Alaska Peninsula.
In Kodiak, residents evacuated to higher ground as sirens blared. Camp Woody staff led about 69 campers to a hill, bringing sleeping bags, water, and supplies until the all-clear. On Cold Bay, 400 miles away, lodge manager Michael Ashley felt the floor swell beneath him, describing it as moving “like going over a wave on a boat” for over a minute.
Alaska frequently experiences earthquakes, with over 49,000 seismic events in 2020. Seismologists noted that the Pacific plate’s movement under Alaska caused Wednesday’s quake, likely accelerated by a previous 7.8-magnitude quake in July. No major damage was reported due to the quake’s depth and the sparsely populated area.
At least two dozen aftershocks followed, with the largest reaching 6.1. The National Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts for hours before lifting them, and Hawaii’s temporary watch was canceled.
