Major quake strikes off Alaska; local tsunami warning

An 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska, the US Geological Survey has said, generating a local tsunami warning.
But the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center yesterday said that "based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected," adding that Hawaii was also not at risk.
The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 2053 GMT, was located 24 kilometers southeast of remote Little Sitkin Island, in the western Aleutians.
The epicenter was located at a depth of about 70 miles.
The National Tsunami Warning Center said the warning was in effect for coastal areas from Nikolski on Umnak Island to Attu Island at the far western end of the Aleutians.

In those areas, "widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents are possible, and may continue for many hours after tsunami arrival."
It also said the level of tsunami danger for other US and Canadian Pacific coasts was being evaluated.