Tsunami Alert For US West Coast Following Magnitude 8.2 Quake Off Alaska

A tsunami alert has been issued for the US West Coast after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake hit the Gulf of Alaska in the early hours of Tuesday.

People in the area have been warned to move away from the coast after the quake hit 256km southeast of Chiniak, Alaska at a depth of 10km at 9.31am (GMT), the US Geological Survey said.

<strong>Tsunami alert issued for the US West Coast after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake hit the Gulf of Alaska.</strong>

Residents in Kodiak, Alaska, heard tsunami sirens going off after the earthquake.

A graphic tweeted by NWS Tsunami Alerts shows the tsunami travel time contours, beginning from the earthquake origin time.

The graphic shows that within three hours of the earthquake, the effects will be felt further down the US West Coast.

“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,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

Japan’s meteorological agency said it was monitoring the situation but did not issue a tsunami alert

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