Tsunami fears eased for US west coast after earthquake

Last updated: 23 January 2018, 11:01 am

A warning was issued for "widespread hazardous tsunami waves" following an 8.2 magnitude earthquake off the southeast coast of Alaska.

The quake - among the strongest in US history - hit at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles) some 175 miles southeast of Kodiak Island at 00.31am local time (9.31am in the UK) on Tuesday, with waves of up to 32ft (10m) reported.

Parts of Alaska and the west coast of Canada were issued with a tsunami warning, while a tsunami watch was put in place for the entire US west coast - with "hazardous waves" said to be possible within the first three hours of the earthquake.

However, the watch status was later cancelled throughout the US and Canada by the National Tsunami Centre, barring areas local to the quake itself in Alaska.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had said when news of the quake broke: "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 epicentre."

Watches were put in place for British Columbia in Canada, as well as Washington state, Oregon, California and Hawaii.

People in Alaska's largest city, Anchorage, reported feeling the quake, despite being hundreds of miles away.