Tsunami alerts issued for Alaska, West Coast after magnitude 8.7 earthquake off Russia [View all]

Source: USA Today

A magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on July 29, triggering tsunami alerts for the entire U.S. West Coast and portions of the Alaska Aleutian Islands, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The earthquake was recorded at 7:24 p.m. ET, about 78 miles east-southeast of of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said in its updated assessment. The agency said the quake was shallow, at a depth of about 11 miles.

A tsunami warning was in place along Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands. Residents in the islands were advised to move out of the water and away from beaches, harbors, marines and inlets.

Tsunamis can generate strong waves and currents, with waves that may last up to 45 minutes as it encroaches and recedes, the warning center stated. Coasts facing all directions are threatened because the waves can wrap around islands and headlands and into Bays.



Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/tsunami-alert-issued-japan-pacific-003358157.html