Magnitude-7.7 quake strikes off western Canada, tsunami warning issued

GOLDEN, CO - The U.S. Coast Guard is warning people in far southern Alaska to take precautions after a tsunami warning was issued for coastal areas of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

The warning was sparked by a strong earthquake Saturday night that shook off the west coast of Canada.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit in the Queen Charlotte Islands area, followed by a 5.8-magnitude aftershock several minutes later.

The National Weather Service has issued a warning for coastal areas of southern Alaska, Northern California, Oregon and Washington state. It says the warning area includes Craig and Sitka, Alaska.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska says it's trying to warn everyone with a boat on the water to prepare for a potential tsunami.

Lt. Bernard Auth of the Juneau Command Center says the Coast Guard is also working with local authorities to alert people in coastal towns to take precautions.