A massive 7.3 earthquake rattled coastal southwestern Alaska on Tuesday, sending a jolt through homes along coastal towns and even generating a small tsunami.

Ground shaking was strongest in Sand Point, with reports of "objects flying out of the pantry and off of shelves," noted the Alaska Earthquake Center.

This is the terrifying moment a powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake shook homes in Alaska. CCTV footage shows the tremor rattling parked cars in Sand Point, some 50 miles (80 kilometres) from the earthquake's epicentre,