A tsunami warning was lifted Tuesday for a stretch of Pacific Coast from Washington to Alaska after a major undersea earthquake hit southeast of Kodiak, according to the National Weather Service. During several tense hours before dawn, officials in some coastal areas urged people to seek higher ground.
The #tsunami warning is canceled for the coastal areas of British Columbia and #Alaska from WA/BC border to Hinchinbrook Entrance, AK, per JTWC. A tsunami was generated but does not pose a threat to these areas. #akwx
— NWS Juneau (@NWSJuneau) January 23, 2018
In Kodiak, police department said water levels had receded in the harbor. A sharp withdrawal of water can precede a tsunami rise. “Citizens should remain in place and wait for further updates,” the Kodiak Police message added.
At its height, a warning was in effect for more than 3,000 miles of coastal zones north of the Washington border: British Columbia and Alaska’s entire southern shoreline including the Aleutian Islands. The National Weather Service sent messages to cellphones in Alaska with the message: “Emergency Alert. Tsunami danger on the coast. Go to high ground or move inland.”
“Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
An announcer on KMXT radio in Kodiak appealed for residents to heed the warning. Many did. A line of cars clogged a snow-covered road heading out of town.
“This is not a drill. Please get out to higher ground,” said the message. “If you are on the flats, get up on one of the hills . . . Just go high.”
A tsunami watch for Hawaii and the West Coast was lifted several hours after the quake.
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