Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Hits Alaska, Shakes Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Smaller tremors persisted early Monday in Alaska’s Talkeetna Mountains, north of Anchorage, after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Sunday night.

The earthquake was felt from Homer to Fairbanks, with the Anchorage and Wasilla areas feeling it the most, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Items were described tumbling from shelves in some cases, while numerous persons described a rolling sensation in others.

There were no reports of serious casualties or property damage right away.

The quake had a depth of around 27 miles, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center (44 kilometers). It was 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of Talkeetna and 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of Anchorage when it struck.

A magnitude 4.6 aftershock hit the area at 4:14 a.m. Monday, and roughly a dozen tiny quakes measuring 3.0 or lower continue to shake the region.

According to Alaska News Source, it was the strongest earthquake to hit southcentral Alaska since a magnitude 7.1 quake in November 2018. The quake wreaked havoc on Anchorage’s infrastructure, causing damage to numerous houses and businesses as well as road and bridge closures. There were no deaths reported.

Since the 2018 quake, the Aleutians have been affected by more than a dozen quakes of comparable scale or bigger.