A short time ago, a strong 6.1 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska, rattling people out of bed. According to the USGS, the earthquake struck at a depth of 27 miles roughly 45 miles north of Chickaloon. More than 3,500 Alaska residents used the “Did You Feel It?” online survey to report they felt the earthquake.
The National Weather Service Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska issued a statement saying that a tsunami isn’t expected at this time.
Tonight’s 6.1 earthquake which struck north of Hatcher Pass was the largest earthquake to strike south-central Alaska since a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in 2018. However, there have been more than a dozen other earthquakes with roughly the same or slightly larger strength that have struck the Aleutian Islands to the south and west in recent times.
There have been at least 13 aftershocks measured by the USGS since the earthquake, with the greatest being a 3.1 magnitude. Many more aftershocks, some strong, are likely in the coming hours and possibly days.
People have said on Facebook they’ve experienced items falling off shelves from the “rolling motion” that struck the region. Stores have also reported damaged goods, such as broken wine bottles. On Facebook, people said it felt like the Earth was rolling for a solid 10-20 seconds. There are no other official reports of significant damage or injuries at this time.
Today’s strong earthquake comes right after a busy seismic period in the Lower 48. While there are on average 50 earthquakes in the U.S. on any given day, the continental U.S. recorded more than 130 earthquakes so far this Memorial Day Weekend. This tally excludes earthquakes experienced as part of ongoing volcanic activity in Hawaii and also excludes an ongoing swarm in Puerto Rico which has rattled the Caribbean all weekend too. Volcanoes have also picked up activity in the Aleutians, with the Great Sitkin volcano generating a WARNING-level advisory in recent days.
