A Tsunami Warning Is In Effect After A 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake Struck Outside Of Anchorage, Alaska.

An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck just seven miles north of Anchorage at 8:29 am Friday morning, at a depth of approximately 27 miles. The earthquake caused power cuts, damage to roads and buildings, and closures of schools, businesses and government offices. The extent of the damage is still unclear, and we are still waiting for news on whether there were casualties.

Anchorage police are asking that people keep their lines as clear as possible and only call legitimate emergencies. The DOT has requested that people stay away from the roads as much as possible. If you must travel, drive slowly and carefully, and report any road damage you discover.

This is the largest earthquake that has occurred near Anchorage since the Iniskin M7.1 earthquake in 2016. Because the earthquake this morning was much closer, the impacts in Anchorage and Mat-Su are much more severe and widespread . The image is still coming together, but the damage reports so far include the following:

Seward Road closed at mile 112 due to a landslide

Broken water network and non-structural damage at the Anchorage airport terminals.

Damage to the road, including the access ramp to the international highway.

A roof or roof collapse on a Key Bank in South Anchorage

Damages and floods at the Alaska Railroad headquarters

These are just representative examples of the types of reports we are looking at. Meanwhile, the Anchorage School District has asked parents to pick up their children if possible, and students from some schools have been moved to other places that have power. The state offices have closed for the day, and both the railroad and the TAPS have been closed by security inspections.

There have already been many aftershocks, including a magnitude of 5.7 just three miles north of Anchorage. On a normal day, that earthquake would have dominated the state news on its own. We expect a vigorous replication sequence and we will soon release more detailed information on the replica. There was no anticipated blockage for this earthquake.

Here is the USGS replication forecast:

Low probability (4%) of another earthquake equal to or greater than magnitude 7.027% probability of a replica of magnitude 6+, and it is very likely that 0-3 of these will occur78% probability of magnitude 5 or more replicas, but probably no more than about 20 of theseUp to 2,200 replicas greater than magnitude 3 are possible

Alaska earthquake today: Live coverage of aftermath of 7.0 magnitude quake near Anchorage