NWS: No Tsunami Threat In Washington From AK Earthquake

WASHINGTON — After a brief period of uncertaintly Monday afternoon, officials have determined that a strong quake off the coast of Alaska poses no threat to the Pacific coast.

According to the Washington Department of Natural Resources, a 7.4 magnitude quake hit about 55 miles off the coast southeast of Sand Point Alaska, just before 2 p.m.

As a result, the National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami warning for southern Alaska and the peninsula. While they did not issue a similar alert for Washington's coast, officials did warn that it was possible the tsunami could make its way farther south, until around 3:40 p.m. when the National Weather Service confirmed that there was no threat to the state.

The evaluation took several hours because a tsunami takes time to travel from the point of origin, so while Sand Point saw the tsunami impacts almost immediately, it took nearly an hour to effect nearby Kodiak.

If it had been determined that there was a legitimate tsunami threat, officials would have issued some type of watch, advisory or warning for coastal regions.

Coastal areas will also hear the All Hazard Alert Broadcast Siren, or AHAB. The pole-mounted sirens are deployed along Washington's coast and tested the first Monday of every month at noon. To hear an audio file of how those sirens sound, click here. A voice message will follow the siren explaining that it is not a test, and that a tsunami may be inbound.

If a tsunami warning is issued for a portion of Washington, residents in that area are advised to:

• Evacuate inland or to higher ground above the hazard zone. In extremely short notice circumstances it may be enough to move to the upper floor of a multistory building if you do not have time to fully evacuate.
• Leave the water, stay off the beach and away from harbors, marinas, bays and inlets.
• Stay tuned for emergency alerts and be prepared to follow further instructions from local emergency officials.
• If you feel a strong earthquake or the ground rumbling, evacuate immediately.
• Do not go to the shore in an attempt to see the tsunami.
• Do not return to the coast until officials say it is safe to do so.
• If on a boat, move the ship out to sea, to an area with a sea depth of 180 feet or more.
  • If already at sea, do not enter shallow water, harbors, marinas, bays or inlets.

However, officials say the most important thing for Washingtonians to do, is relax: even after a large earthquake like the one in Alaska, if a warning is not immediately issued, a destructive tsunami remains unlikely.

Read more on Tsunami alerts and preparedness from the Washington Emergency Management Division.