Tsunami warning ends in British Columbia after earthquake off Alaska

Tsunami warnings in British Columbia and Alaska have been cancelled following a magnitude 7.9 earthquake off Alaska’s Kodiak Island.

The National Tsunami Center said the warnings have been downgraded to advisories.

Great news! Downgraded from evacuation to advisory! Here’s the room @TofinoEmergency : #Tofino #Tsunami pic.twitter.com/1HczItaQed

— Catherine Lempke (@Cat_Lempke) January 23, 2018

Tsunami warning sirens were going off in Tofino and other coastal communities early Tuesday morning after the powerful earthquake struck around 1:30 a.m.

The earthquake had a preliminary reading of 8.2 and struck 278 kilometres southeast of Kodiak at a depth of about 10 kilometres.

#Tsunami Warning previously issued for coastal areas of #BC has been CANCELLED. Continue to listen to instructions from local officials until the ALL CLEAR has been issued in your community.

— Emergency Info BC (@EmergencyInfoBC) January 23, 2018

The warning was issued for the Juan de Fuca Strait coast, the outer west coast of Vancouver Island, the central coast and northeast Vancouver Island, and the north coast and Haida Gwaii. It did not include Vancouver.

Emergency Info BC was advising anyone in a tsunami warning area to evacuate inland or to higher ground above and beyond designated tsunami hazard zones or move to an upper floor of a multi-story building depending on their situation.

UPDATE #3: #Tsunami warning has been downgraded to an ADVISORY in #Tofino. Significant inundation not expected. Reception centre remains open; those residing on or near water should still evacuate to higher ground.

— District of Tofino (@TofinoCA) January 23, 2018