An offshore earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale shook southern Alaska on Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings and emergency evacuations along a 700-mile (1,127-km) stretch of vulnerable coastline. The epicenter was located near Sand Point, in the Aleutian Islands chain, and tremors were reportedly felt as far away as Anchorage, nearly 600 miles to the northeast.

Within hours, more than 40 aftershocks followed, the Alaska Earthquake Center confirmed. While initial tsunami alerts stirred panic in coastal communities like Kodiak, King Cove, and Unalaska, the National Tsunami Warning Center downgraded the warning to an advisory within an hour-and canceled it entirely by mid-afternoon.

Though the quake rattled nerves, no major infrastructure damage was reported. According to Sand Point Police Chief Benjamin Allen, the town's airport and harbor remained intact. However, the local Alaska Commercial store saw part of its inventory-including glass bottles of alcohol and condiments-crash to the floor during the tremors, creating a pungent mess.

Emergency officials took no chances. In Unalaska, residents in flood-prone areas were urged to reach 50 feet above sea level or move at least 1 mile inland. In King Cove, alerts prompted swift relocations to higher ground. Tourists in Seward were evacuated from attractions like the Alaska SeaLife Center.

Although no significant tsunami waves developed-maximum wave height was just 2.5 inches above tide-the incident is part of a worrying trend. According to state seismologist Michael West, this is the fifth magnitude-7+ quake in the area since 2020. "Something's moving in this area," he warned. "This is not an isolated earthquake-it's part of an active sequence."

Seismologists remain alert, cautioning that the region remains vulnerable to larger seismic events and potentially destructive tsunamis. The National Weather Service confirmed no threat to other Pacific coasts, including Washington, Oregon, or California.