A really large earthquake of 7.9 magnitude struck off Alaska‘s Kodiak Island early Tuesday. This prompted a tsunami warning for a large swath of coastal Alaska and Canada’s British Columbia and watch for the remainder of the West Coast.
The United States Geological Survey said the quake was recorded about at 12:31 a.m. local tim about 155 miles off of Chiniak, Alaska and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said “widespread hazardous tsunami waves were possible.”
Buoy 46410, which is northeast of the quake’s epicenter, has recorded a “water displacement” of 32 feet, the National Weather Service said.
The quake was was felt in Anchorage and around southcentral Alaska, The Anchorage Daily News reported.
“This is a very large earthquake, and Alaska is no stranger to earthquakes or tsunamis,” Fox News’ Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean said on “FOX & friends.” “They’ve had four of them in the past.”
Nat Herz, a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, posted on Twitter that he called the Kodiak Police Department for a response, and was told by police to seek higher ground.
“We’re going to have to call you back,” he said police told him. “Lives at stake.”
The Kodiak Police Department posted a video to Facebook imploring residents to leave their homes and to head for higher ground.
“This is not a drill,” Kodiak Police Sergeant Derek Beaver said in the video. “This is an actual tsunami warning. Everyone please get at least 100 feet above sea level.”