Powerful quake shakes Alaska towns, creates small tsunami

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A powerful earthquake off Alaska’s southern coast has jolted coastal communities and forced residents to briefly scramble for higher ground over fears of a tsunami. There were no immediate reports of damage late Tuesday in the sparsely populated area of the state affected by the earthquake. The tsunami warning was canceled after the magnitude 7.8 quake off the Alaska Peninsula produced a wave that was less than a foot high. The quake was centered about 65 miles offshore. Strong shaking was reported by residents in communities within 100 miles of the epicenter. Some people in Anchorage about 500 miles away also reported feeling the earthquake.