Alaska Earthquake: Three Massive Quakes; Hawaii Under Tsunami Watch | All You Need to Know

Hawaii has been put under a Tsunami watch after a series of massive earthquakes hit the Alaskan peninsula. According to Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center listed the magnitude of the first one as 8.1 and said an investigation is underway to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii. But the US Geological Survey said the quake was magnitude 8.2 and hit 56 miles (91 kilometres) east southeast of Perryville, Alaska at about 8:15 pm. The quake was about 29 miles below the surface of the ocean, according to USGS.

“Hazardous tsunami waves for this earthquake are possible within the next three hours along some coasts,” the US Tsunami Warning System said in a statement. Perryville is a small village about 500 miles from Anchorage, Alaska’s biggest city.

Two other earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 6.2 and 5.6 occurred in the same area within a half-hour of the first one, the US Geological Survey reported. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a notice that the potential threat to Guam and American Samoa was still under investigation.

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 epicenter, PTWC said. Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should have been widely felt by almost everyone in the area of the epicenter. It might have caused light to moderate damage.

Moderate shaking probably occurred in Perryville, Chignik Lake and Sandpoint.

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused tsunami waves in Alaska’s southern coast in October, but no casualties were reported. Alaska is part of the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. Alaska was hit by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake in March 1964, the strongest ever recorded in North America. It devastated Anchorage and unleashed a tsunami that slammed the Gulf of Alaska, the US west coast, and Hawaii.