Massive 7.9-magnitude quake strikes Alaskan coast

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake off Alaska’s southern coast Tuesday sent panic through the Pacific Rim over fears of a colossal tsunami.

But those concerns were called off by 4:15 a.m. local time, when officials canned a tsunami advisory for coastal Alaska.

Just three hours earlier, the temblor was recorded in the Gulf of Alaska about 170 miles southeast of Kodiak, an area of about 13,000 residents, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Tsunami sirens were reportedly heard throughout region, which includes Kodiak island and coastal areas of the peninsula, within 30 minutes of the quake.

Residents rushed in the middle of the night to seek shelter on higher ground when the tsunami threat seemed more certain.

The tsunami warning was issued for much of the Alaska coast after a large earthquake. (USGS)

“We are closely monitoring the earthquake and tsunami warnings affecting many coastal communities this morning,” Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said in a statement, adding he’s been in contact with the head of the state’s National Guard.

“Please heed local warnings to move inland or to higher ground.”

Tides in Kodiak’s harbor ebbed and flowed, stoking fears of a tsunami. The tide rose as high as three feet in a matter of minutes before receding, officials said.

Concerns about a tsunami dropped off, however, once waves failed to gain height, authorities added.

Tue Jan 23 11:18:49 UTC 2018 event picture pic.twitter.com/ZpFFEWbkvf

— NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) January 23, 2018

“We are closely monitoring the earthquake and tsunami warnings affecting many coastal communities this morning,” Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said in a statement earlier in the day, adding he’s been in contact with the head of the state’s National Guard.

“Please heed local warnings to move inland or to higher ground.”

Video from Kodiak showed a line of cars stuck in traffic, trying to flee the town on icy streets.

About 600 people took shelter in Kodiak’s high school, where the Red Cross is providing aide, school superintendent Larry LeDoux told a reporter with KTVA.

tsunami sirens going off in kodiak after the earthquake, i usually only ever hear the weekly siren test at 2pm on wednesdays so hearing it at 1am on tuesday is actually terrifying!! pic.twitter.com/ea5y7U6xnf

— kylie jordinelli (@scarygirI) January 23, 2018

The warning also impacted Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and parts of British Columbia in Canada.

The precarious warning did not extend to the state’s most populous city of Anchorage, where many residents felt the shaking, residents and authorities said.

Meteorologists pulled back an earlier tsunami watch for Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii.

There were no immediate reports of damage of injuries.