Yesterday, following an 8.0 magnitude earthquake near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, the National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for a wide stretch of Alaska’s coastal areas. The earthquake and tsunami warning came during the height of Alaska’s cruise season, placing a number of cruise ships sailing in Alaska near the warning areas.
At the issue time of the warning, no ships were known to be at serious risk of being affected. Many ships near the warning area happened to be at sea at the time of issue, which is known to be the safest location for a ship during a tsunami.
Aboard the Carnival Miracle, Carnival Cruise Line’s Senior Cruise Director, John Head, updated his Facebook page with the latest information from the ship’s command and officials back ashore in Miami. John Heald stated the ship’s command was in continuous contact with the United States Coast Guard and Carnival officials in Miami, monitoring the situation as it developed.
Late into Monday evening, the National Tsunami Warning Center lifted the previously issued warning for Alaskan coastal areas. No reports of major damage were reported ashore nor were any reports of unusual sea conditions reported by cruise ships in the area.
