Chris Woodyard
USA TodayFri, 30 Nov 2018 01:36 UTC
© Loren Holmes/ADNThe northbound onramp for International Airport Rd. at Minnesota Blvd. collapsed Friday morning, Nov. 30, 2018 after a strong earthquake shook southcentral Alaska.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Friday morning near Anchorage, Alaska, causing widespread damage, triggering rock slides and alarming office workers who plunged under their desks.
Residents are reporting damage in the nearby areas via social media. One man tweeted a photo of his toppled chimney and a local television station showed its studio filled with debris. Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin tweeted, saying her family is intact but her "house is not."
"This is a large earthquake and there have been numerous aftershocks," said John Bellini, a geophysicist for the U.S. Geological Survey. He said the largest aftershock was a 5.7 magnitude quake about six minutes after the big one.The quake struck at 8:29 a.m. local time about seven miles north of Anchorage, the USGS reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. Officials have since canceled a tsunami warning for coastal areas of southern Alaska.
"The bed started shaking and everything was shaking so dramatically," Blair Braverman told CNN. "People were running down the halls and banging on the doors to evacuate."
The earthquake also disrupted some communications and electrical service, the state's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said.
The Anchorage School District cancelled classes for its more than 100 schools and asked parents to pick up their kids when they could.
And state government offices in Anchorage were closed so officials could assess damage.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation.
Alaska averages 40,000 earthquakes per year, with more large quakes than the other 49 states combined.
Anchorage has been hit hard before. A 1964 earthquake that registered 9.2, the largest ever in the U.S. and the second largest ever recorded, caused extensive damage to the city.
Comment: UPDATE December 3rdAnchorage Daily News reports that small aftershocks have continued with 1,800 measured between last Friday and Monday. A total of 153 measured greater than 3.0, 18 were at 4.0 or greater and five were greater than 5.0, according to the
Alaska Earthquake Center.
© Alaska Earthquake Center.Earthquakes associated with Friday's 7.0 earthquake north of Anchorage as of 5:45 p.m. Sunday. The red dots represent shakes in the previous 24 hours, and the yellow dots are from the past week (with virtually all of them since Friday. The large dot directly north of the city was Friday's quake).
UPDATE January 19, 2019Residents in Alaska are still
reporting aftershocks from the event:
The latest big aftershock happened last Sunday - a magnitude 5.0 jolt that flared already frayed nerves and prompted panicky posts on social media.
That one "reminded people again that it's not over yet," said seismologist Natalia Rupert at the Alaska Earthquake Center.
There have been more than 7,800 aftershocks since the main earthquake struck 7 miles (11 kilometers) north of Anchorage, the state's most populous city. Most were too small to feel, but 20 have had magnitudes of 4.5 or greater. Rupert expects the temblors to continue for months, although the frequency has lessened, from about 200 daily to a couple dozen a day.
Anyone who's experienced a strong quake knows,its terrifying.
Instantly reminded that we're actually a puny,ego ridden creature who should be grateful for everything we have,because,when our maker decides ts time,it can be gone in a nano second.
Forget scientists..they waffle on about total bs,to appease us.
All praise to the most high