Thousands of Alaskans living along the state’s southern coastline scrambled to evacuate on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake sparked fears of a tsunami.

7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Region

The US Geological Survey reported a magnitude 7.3 quake striking around 12:38pm local time (4:30pm ET), with the epicenter located in the Pacific Ocean near the Shumagin Islands, just southeast of Sand Point and close to the Alaska Peninsula.

Widespread Alerts and Evacuations

As sirens blared and mobile phones buzzed with emergency alerts, residents from Kennedy Entrance near Homer to Unimak Pass by Unalaska were urged to flee inland or to higher ground.

Rachel Lord, mayor of Homer, described the chaos: “We’ve been hearing there was bumper-to-bumper traffic at first, with people just trying to get off the spit.”

Tsunami Warnings Issued and Later Downgraded

Emergency officials warned that a tsunami could impact areas including Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula, and the eastern Aleutians. Stark photos showed coastlines eerily empty as ocean waters receded—a classic warning sign of an impending tsunami.

David Snider, a tsunami warning coordinator with NOAA, confirmed small waves had been generated, raising sea levels by about three inches. “A tsunami was generated by this event, but no longer poses a threat,” stated the Tsunami Warning Center. However, officials noted minor sea-level fluctuations may continue.

Originally, a full tsunami warning was issued shortly after the quake, downgraded to an advisory about 90 minutes later, and eventually canceled by 12:45pm local time (6:45pm ET).