A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska, sending tremors across the continent and as far as Canada. The quake hit the region around Yakutat in the state at a depth of 6.21 miles, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Yakutat, with a population of just 657 people in 2020, is approximately 300 miles away from Anchorage, where the quake was also felt. The USGS recorded three more quakes in the region shortly after, including a magnitude 5.3 and a magnitude 5.0 quake. There was no tsunami warning, and no immediate reports of damage or injury. In Whitehorse, Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Calista MacLeod confirmed that the detachment received two 911 calls about the earthquake, and many people reported feeling it on social media. According to NASA, there are on average 18 major earthquakes measuring between 7.0 and 7.9 a year, with one greater earthquake above 8.0. The magnitude of a quake is the strength of it, with a 7.0 to 7.9 considered a major shake that can cause serious damage. Alison Bird, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, noted that the part of the Yukon most affected by the temblor is home to scenic mountains and few people. She reported that mostly people have reported things falling off shelves and walls, with no apparent structural damage. The Canadian community nearest to the epicenter is Haines Junction, about 80 miles away, with a population of 1,018 in 2022. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities posted on Facebook, stating that they are conducting standard post-event inspections of state highways, bridges, airports, and other transportation infrastructure in the region, with no major travel impacts expected. In September, a 7.8 quake off Russia's east coast set off tsunami alerts in Alaska, followed by more than a dozen aftershocks ranging from 4.8 to 5.6 magnitude. Just last month, a swarm of quakes rocked the Central Coast of California after a significant shake hit the area, with more than a dozen tremors reported across one afternoon in a one-mile area near Templeton and San Luis Obispo.
