FOG BLOG U.S. NEWS LOG: STRONG 8.2 EARTHQUAKE HITS OFF THE COAST OF ALASKA, FEARS OF TSUNAMI:

Magnitude 8.2 earthquake strikes off Alaska, tsunami warnings issued then lifted

“The biggest threat would be any potential tsunami risk,” a United States Geological Survey geophysicist said.....warnings were issued for parts of Alaska after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.2 struck off the peninsula's coast early Thursday.

The tremblor struck around 50 miles south of Perryville, a small town of 100 or so people around 500 miles to the south and west of Anchorage, according to Robert Sanders, a United States Geological Survey geophysicist.

“There could be damage and injuries from an event of this magnitude,” , adding that the sparsity of the population mitigated that risk but did not remove it...Tsunami warnings were put in place for parts of south Alaska, the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands by the National Tsunami Warning Center. A tsunami advisory was also issued for southeast Alaska, but the National Weather Service said there was no tsunami threat to Anchorage.

The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management tweeted that the State Emergency Operations Center "had been activated and is calling communities in the tsunami warning area.".