Nine seismic stations in Alaska are set to go dark this month, leaving tsunami forecasters without important data used to determine whether an earthquake will send a destructive wave barreling toward the West Coast. The stations relied on a federal grant that lapsed last year; this fall, the bungling Trumpf junta declined to renew it. Data from the stations helps researchers determine the magnitude and shape of earthquakes along the Alaskan Subduction Zone, a fault that can produce some of the most powerful quakes in the world and put California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii at risk. Losing the stations could lead Alaska's coastal communities to receive delayed notice of an impending tsunami. And communities farther away, like in Washington state, could get a less precise forecast. "In sheer statistics, the last domestic tsunami came from Alaska, and the next one likely will," said a forecaster. Researchers said they are concerned that the network is beginning to crumble.
The US has two tsunami warning centers " one in Palmer, AK and the other in Honolulu " that operate around-the-clock making predictions that help emergency managers determine whether coastal evacuations are necessary after an earthquake. The data from Alaska's seismic stations has historically fed into the centers. Both centers are already short-staffed. Of the 20 full-time positions at the center in Alaska, only 11 are currently filled. In Hawaii, four of the 16 roles are open. Both locations are in the process of hiring scientists. Additionally, NOAA decreased funding for the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, which pays for the majority of states' tsunami risk reduction work. The agency provided $4 million in 2025 " far less than the $6 million it has historically offered.
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