Straight Talk

Tsunami warning cancelled for B.C. after 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Alaska

by Charlie Smith on January 23rd, 2018 at 6:37 AM
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      Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth has requested that British Columbians never call 911 for information about a tsunami.

      He made the statement after a tsunami warning was cancelled for the coast of B.C.

      This followed a 7.9-magnitude earthquake off the Alaskan coast around 1:30 a.m. Pacific standard time.

      "In the event of a future tsunami warning, stay calm, stay safe; listen to your local officials and head to higher ground," Farnworth said.

      The 911 line should only be used in case of emergencies.

      Following the earthquake, several B.C. communities activated emergency plans and evacuated people at risk, according to a B.C. government news release.

      The earthquake was centred near Kodiak Island, which is just over 300 kilometres from Alaska's largest city, Anchorage.

      KVTA News in Alaska has reported that there were "no reports of major damage".

      U.S. Geological Survey geologist Peter J. Haeussler told the New York Times that the earthquake likely didn't occur over the subduction zone where the North American and Pacific plates meet.

      Rather, Haeussler said that it's "more likely that the slip occurred on the ocean plate, at a point where it bends as it starts to slide under the continent".

      As a result, this earthquake was less likely to generate a large tsunami.

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