A tsunami warning was issued Tuesday night over much of the southern coast of Alaska and the Alaskan peninsula after a preliminary magnitude 7.8 earthquake was recorded 75 miles from the city of Chignik at a depth of eight miles .
Reports indicated that sirens could be heard in the state’s coastal cities.
The National Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami activity is expected to start at 11:15 p.m. at Sand Point, shortly after midnight at Kodiak and about 10 minutes later at Cold Bay.
The center informed all residents in the areas under warning to evacuate to higher ground or further inland.
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“For other Pacific coasts of the United States and Canada in North America, the level of tsunami hazard is being assessed,” the alert said.
Anchorage Daily News reported that tsunami sirens have sounded in the Kodiak and that the local high school has opened its doors to those seeking refuge. Residents were also told to head to a Coast Guard base for higher ground.
Louise Fode, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the newspaper that it could be a while before a “tsunami” is determined to have been generated.
This is a developing story, check for updates
