Nine tsunami monitoring stations in Alaska closed in November

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Nine tsunami detection stations in Alaska will stop working in mid-November after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) cut $300,000 in federal funding, creating dangerous holes in the state's early warning system, Alaska state seismologist Michael West told Alaska News Source on Friday. He says he doesn't know why the cuts were made.

“People should be concerned about anything that might degrade our earthquake and tsunami capabilities,” West said. “Anything that would undo some of the hard work that has been put in over the years to try to make us safer in light of these events.”

West said he received an email from NOAA in September informing him that funding for these stations would no longer be renewed.

“Effective October 1, NOAA will no longer support seismic data collection efforts through the Alaska Earthquake Center,” West said.

The cuts, which come in the middle of a government shutdown, will eliminate funding for nine seismic stations starting in mid-November. Many of the stations are located in the Aleutian Islands — an area he described as a breeding ground for deadly tsunamis — West said, warning that could create dangerous blind spots in Alaska's tsunami detection capabilities.

Alaska News Source reached out to NOAA for comment multiple times, including phone calls and emails, but they did not respond.

“Thank you for your message,” says an automated email sent to NOAA. “The US government is closed. We cannot access and respond to emails until appropriations are enacted and the government reopens. We look forward to acting on your message once operations resume.”

For many of these stations, there are no backup stations surrounding the stations that will go offline. Most seismic monitoring stations are located inland or south of downtown, just east of Anchorage.

“This knowledge is lost.”

Alaska is no stranger to devastating and life-altering earthquakes, tsunamis, and severe weather events. However, efforts to mitigate the damage from these natural disasters came long before the major Alaska earthquake that rocked the state.

“The country's tsunami program began in 1946 after an earthquake here in Alaska killed 150 people in Hawaii.”

Stations in the Aleutian region, which West said would detect a similar seismic event, would detect not only tsunamis that could hit Alaska, but the entire West Coast.

Then came the 1964 earthquake that devastated the state, which West described as “changing the course of the state.”

“In the aftermath, as we were rebuilding, it became clear that we needed ways to learn how to learn better with these hazards. One result of that was the creation of a statewide monitoring program that is today the Alaska Earthquake Center.”

It is this center that now has tsunami detection stations in the Aleutians, and in the rest of the state, out of operation.

He added: “We have received a series of tsunami warnings in recent years, but we have been fortunate that, event after event, no significant tsunami waves have been produced.” “Tsunami will change one day, but we live in a time that has been more than half a century since a truly impactful tsunami occurred in Alaska. And that knowledge is being lost.”

The reason behind the reduction is unknown

West said he's not sure why the funding stopped, but said it came in the wake of what he calls “federal government turmoil.”

“There have been some changes happening at a high level in agencies, where a lot of decisions were made earlier this year, perhaps hastily, without realizing all the downstream ramifications.”

It has been slow to end funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), saying funding has decreased over the years, but this reduction is the final nail in its coffin.

“This is NOAA saying: Hey, we're done.”

NOAA does not have any notice or documentation explaining the reductions in the Alaska Earthquake Center on its website.

But West still hopes the funding issue will eventually be resolved.

Alaska News Source has reached out to the governor's office for comment, which has not yet been returned.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to [email protected]

Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos