A tsunami warning for the coastal areas of B.C. has been cancelled following a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Alaska.

A tsunami warning was issued early Tuesday, shortly after 1:30 a.m., and Emergency B.C. was warning anyone in affected areas to evacuate. However, at 4:30 a.m., an urgent message from Emergency Management B.C. stated that all warnings for coastal B.C. had been cancelled.

“No zones of coastal British Columbia are at risk. Repeat, no zones of coastal British Columbia are at risk,” said EMBC.

The warning covered the coast of British Columbia from Vancouver Island north to Haida Gwaii and the North Coast after the large earthquake that struck 300 kilometres southeast of Kodiak, Alaska.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially said the quake had a preliminary reading of 8.2 and struck 278 kilometres southeast of Kodiak, Alaska at a depth of about 10 kilometres.

Warnings from the National Weather Service sent to cellphones in Alaska warned: “Emergency Alert. Tsunami danger on the coast. Go to high ground or move inland.”

Previous warnings indicated that widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents were possible.

Residents along B.C.’s coast were woken up in the middle of the night by warning sirens shortly after the quake hit. In Tofino, on Vancouver Island, residents gathered at the emergency centre to prepare for leaving on the evacuation routes.

Source: Vancouver Sun