7.3-magnitude earthquake strikes an Alaskan island, prompting a tsunami warning.
The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning on Wednesday after a strong 7.3 magnitude earthquake occurred close to Sand Point, Alaska. The EPA subsequently lowered the warning to an advise. About 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, on Popof Island in the northwest region of the Alaska Peninsula, sits Sand Point. The epicenter of the earthquake was 54 miles south of Sand Point, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Parts of southern Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, which stretches from Kennedy Entrance to Unimak Pass along the Pacific coast, are under the tsunami advisory. The impacted area also includes the cities of Cold Bay and Kodiak in addition to Sand Point. Warning sirens were blaring around the city, and Kodiak police informed ABC News that people were being urged to evacuate to higher ground. Around 2:40 p.m. local time, any possible tsunami impact in the region was anticipated. Thankfully, Kodiak officials have not yet reported any damage from the earthquake. While working outside, Michael Ashley of the Cold Bay Lodge said to ABC News that he felt a little shudder, but it was "not very strong."
Ashley stated, "People here aren't too worried because we're about 100 feet above sea level," despite the fact that Cold Bay was under a tsunami warning. Large earthquakes like this one are fairly common in the area in the summer, he continued.
7.3-magnitude Sand Point Earthquake of 2025 Written on July 16, 2025 by Austin Holland A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 occurred off the coast of the Alaska Peninsula on July 16, 2025, at 12:37 PM local time (see Figure 1). Two years had passed since a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in the same region. Numerous earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher have occurred in the area over the years, indicating its seismic activity (see Figure 2).
Approximately 55 miles (89 km) south of Sand Point, Alaska, was the epicenter. Light shaking was observed in Juneau and Anchorage, and the earthquakes were felt over a large area. The shaking was worse in Sand Point, where one resident said objects flew off shelves and cabinets. People in Homer characterized the trembling as light, with plants and lighting swaying. Significant damage has not yet been reported in the regions nearest the epicenter.
This earthquake is located inside the aftershock zone of the M7.8 Simeonof earthquake that happened in July 2020, as is the July 15, 2023 earthquake. The incident that occurred today might be a component of the ongoing series of aftershocks from the 2020 earthquake. Indeed, 40 aftershocks were recorded in the first three hours of today's earthquake, with the strongest one reaching magnitude 5.2 (see Figures 3 and 4).
In the near future, aftershocks are probably going to continue. According to the USGS aftershock forecast, there is a high probability of several minor earthquakes and a chance of another one with a magnitude of 6 or higher throughout the next week. In the last five years, there have been five earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher in this area of the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust.
The National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning shortly after the earthquake, but an hour or two later it was modified to an advisory. As a precaution, inhabitants of Sand Point, King Cove, Kodiak, Old Harbor, Homer, Seward, and Unalaska were asked to relocate to safer ground. Despite the absence of any tsunami, the warning provided populations with crucial time to act swiftly. Nearby villages would have had just minutes to flee if a large tsunami had been created. In order to increase public understanding of tsunami hazards and evacuation areas, the Alaska Earthquake Center collaborates with various organizations and local communities. Our website offers information on tsunami hazards by town, and you can use our interactive map at tsunami.alaska.edu to see if your home, place of employment, or recreational location is at risk.
Earthquakes are usually depicted on maps as single dots, but it's crucial to realize that the rupture region might cover hundreds of square miles (as explained in "What’s Happening in Alaska" Episode 47, June 2025).