A moderate earthquake was felt across a wide area of south-central Alaska Tuesday afternoon, including in Anchorage. The Alaska Earthquake Today event registered a magnitude 4.5, according to initial data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The tremor occurred just after 4:24 p.m. local time on April 22. Its epicenter was located in the Willow Creek State Recreation Area, a few miles from the small community of Willow. It struck at a depth of approximately 16 miles.
Despite its distance, the Anchorage Earthquake generated significant shaking reports. The USGS reported receiving over 1,000 submissions from people who felt the quake, many originating from Anchorage and surrounding communities.
Officials have not reported any injuries or significant property damage resulting from the shaking. The USGS assessment indicates that major impacts were not expected from an earthquake of this magnitude and depth in the area.
Tuesday's event follows other recent seismic activity in the region. A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was reported near Nikolski on April 17.
Another event registered as 4.1-magnitude earthquake in Alaska near Dutch Harbor occurred on April 16.
Alaska lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes. These events are a regular part of life for residents across the state.
One person described the shaking felt from Tuesday's quake, writing on social media, "Earthquake shaking my whole bed... I thought someone was trying to break through the front door."
