A 7.0 earthquake hit Anchorage at 8:29 a.m. Friday, rocking buildings and fracturing roads. At least 10 smaller earthquakes struck the area Friday. A tsunami warning was issued but later cancelled.
“There is major infrastructure damage across Anchorage. Many homes and buildings are damaged. Many roads and bridges are closed,” the Anchorage Police said in a statement.
A video from an Anchorage courthouse showed at least one minute of shaking:
Several pictures shared on Twitter showed extensive damage to roads.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated there was “a low likelihood of casualties,” not because the earthquake wasn’t strong but because “the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking,” though there are some “vulnerable” structures. Economic damages were potentially more severe, “significant damage is likely and the disaster is potentially widespread,” the USGS said.
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker tweeted about the government’s response:
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski told Fox News that the “main roadways” around the city are severely damaged and likely will not be able to be repaired for months
The last time Alaska experienced an earthquake this big was in January, when a 7.9 temblor hit the Gulf of Alaska. In March 1964, Alaska was struck by the second most powerful earthquake in recorded history, a 9.2 quake that hit 75 miles outside Anchorage.
Update, Nov. 30, 3:48 p.m.: This post has been updated with predictive modeling from the USGS.
