Tsunami Advisory issued in Alaska after massive quake strikes off Russia near site of July’s historic temblor
By Scott Sistek
Copyright foxweather
ADAK, Alaska – A 7.8 earthquake off the coast of Russia has triggered a Tsunami Advisory for the Aleutian Islands in Alaska on Thursday. The quake struck just before 11 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time (3 p.m. ET) and was centered about 90 miles east of Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A Tsunami Advisory stretches from Amchitka Pass, Alaska, (about 125 miles west of Adak) to Attu, Alaska. A Tsunami Advisory is a lower-rung alert for a tsunami, issued when small waves may impact an area. Strong currents could be dangerous to those in or near the water, and minor flooding of beaches and harbors is possible. Any tsunami waves would reach Shemya around 12:20 p.m. AKDT (4:20 p.m. ET) No other U.S. or Canadian continental locations are in an alert zone, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center. The situation for Hawaii is still under evaluation. “A tsunami threat exists for parts of the Pacific located closer to the earthquake,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said. “But it is still too early to determine whether there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii.” Any initial waves that would threaten Hawaii would not arrive in the western islands until 2:51 p.m. Hawaii Time (8:51 p.m. ET), and then around Oahu 14 minutes later, and the Big Island closer to 3:30 p.m. HT. However, the agency is warning there could be tsunami waves of 3-9 feet (1-3 meters) along some parts of the Russian coast. The quake is likely an aftershock of the historic 8.8 earthquake that struck on July 29, sending tsunami alerts across much of the Pacific Ocean. While some minor tsunami waves were reported in Hawaii and along the U.S. West Coast, there was no significant damage reported. Updates to follow soon.