Alaska News

Magnitude-6.7 quake rattles remote area of Alaska Peninsula, prompting brief evacuation

A magnitude-6.7 earthquake Thursday night was felt widely through Southwest and Southcentral Alaska and prompted residents of one village near the epicenter to temporarily leave their homes for the safety of higher ground.

The quake hit at 11 p.m. Thursday in a remote area off the coast of the Alaska Peninsula at a depth of about 35 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was felt widely across the region, including in Anchorage, nearly 400 miles distant, and as far away as Valdez.

Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesperson Jeremy Zidek said that shortly after the quake struck, residents of the coastal community of Chignik moved to higher ground as a precaution in case of a tsunami.

But the Palmer-based National Tsunami Warning Center quickly determined there was no danger of that, and residents soon returned to their home, Zidek said.

"Communities that are at risk of tsunamis do have these plans, and shelters in place ahead of time," Zidek said.

He added that following the quake some locals on Chignik did see falling rocks, but not in a populated area.

The quake's epicenter was estimated to be about 80 miles northeast of Chignik, also known as Chignik Bay, a Alutiiq community of about 96 people on the Alaska Peninsula.

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Friday morning Zidek said there were no reports of damage or injuries in any community within 100 miles of the epicenter.

Six aftershocks with a magnitude of 3.0 or greater have been recorded since the quake first struck, according to the USGS.

Megan Edge

Megan Edge is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News.

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