Alaska News

6.6 magnitude earthquake shakes Aleutian Islands

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 hit the Aleutian Islands Wednesday afternoon, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.

No tsunami is expected, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The earthquake struck at 1:56 p.m., about 75 miles southwest of the community of Adak, the center said, at a depth of about 7 miles.

Beth Carroll, Adak city clerk, said she had just returned to her office after her lunch break when the earthquake struck.

"It was pretty intense for about 15 seconds," Carroll said. "It started out slow, and then it got heavier and heavier, and then it finally died down."

Carroll said she hadn't heard of any earthquake damage in Adak.

"Every time I live through one of these, I'm thankful," Carroll said.

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The quake was near the Andreanof Islands, a group of islands near the western edge of the Aleutians.

If you felt the earthquake, you can report your experience to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Laurel Andrews

Laurel Andrews was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in October 2018.

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