No tsunami risk for B.C. after massive Alaska earthquake

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake off southwestern Alaska has triggered a tsunami warning for the region. (U.S. Tsunami Warning System)

Victoria — British Columbia emergency management officials say there is no threat of a tsunami for B.C. after a massive earthquake triggered tsunami warnings for southwestern Alaska on Monday.

The magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off Sand Point, Alaska just before 2 p.m.

Emergency Management BC told CTV News just before 4 p.m. there was no threat of a tsunami for British Columbia after the emergency service initially issued a tsunami warning on Twitter.

The quake struck 92 kilometres southeast of Sand Point at a depth of 40 kilometres, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Parts of southern Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula were put under a tsunami warning immediately following the quake.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System projected that the first of any detectable ocean waves from the earthquake would reach the northern tip of Vancouver Island at Winter Harbour at roughly 5:20 p.m. The wave energy would reach Tofino at approximately 6 p.m. and Victoria's harbour at 6:50 p.m.

"Tsunamis can be dangerous for many hours after arrival, and the initial wave is not necessarily the largest," the tsunami service said Monday.

John Cassidy, a University of Victoria professor and Natural Resources Canada seismologist said the shaking was felt in nearby Haida Gwaii.

The Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, said the state's tsunami warning was in effect for roughly 1,529 kilometres, from 64 kilometres southeast of Homer to Unimak Pass, about 129 kilometres northeast of Unalaska.

The Alaska Earthquake Center said the quake was widely felt in communities along the southern coast, including Sand Point, Chignik, Unalaska and the Kenai Peninsula. The Alaska Earthquake Center said a magnitude 5.2 aftershock was reported 11 minutes later, centred roughly in the same area.

“It was a pretty good shaker here,” said David Adams, co-manager of Marine View Bed and Breakfast in Sand Point. “We're doing OK.” He said all guests were accounted for and “the structure itself is sound.”

“You could see the water kind of shaking and shimmering during the quake,” she said. “Our truck was swaying big time.” He didn't take any photos or video: “It just kind of happened of all of a sudden.”

Rita Tungul, front desk assistant at the Grand Aleutian Hotel in Unalaska, said she felt some shaking but it wasn't strong. Her coworker didn't feel the quake at all, she said.

Unalaska officials sent out a message saying the city is just outside the warning zone and they aren't ordering evacuations right now. Unalaska public safety officials earlier Monday had sent out a release saying they would be conducting tests of the community's tsunami warning sirens.

With files from The Associated Press