The quake that struck Alaska’s southern coast on Wednesday, July 16 is part of a larger sequence that may continue to unfold in destructive ways.

Wednesday's magnitude 7.3 earthquake off Alaska's Aleutian Islands chain struck in a region that has experienced a handful of powerful quakes within the last five years - including one that shook communities almost exactly two years earlier.

A tsunami warning that was later downgraded was issued for several coastal communities after the earthquake struck south of Sand Point.