Alaska Still Shaking as Aftershocks Continue Through Saturday
Yesterday’s massive 7.0 earthquake near Anchorage, Alaska will certainly be affecting Americans for some time to come…and the shaking isn’t even over yet.
As photos of the destruction continued to flow on social media, Alaskans were ready to being rebuilding. After all, these are some of the hardiest Americans on the planet, choosing to live in the last frontier of US wilderness. Unfortunately for a number of residents, they’ll have to wait until the shaking finally ceases in order to do so.
The quake spawned more than 200 aftershocks in 12 hours, including a sharp jolt felt widely in Anchorage around 10:26 a.m. and another series of aftershocks just before 11 a.m. At least four of the aftershocks were 5.0 and one measured 5.7. Lighter aftershocks continued to be felt through the afternoon and evening.
The earthquake shook buildings violently, cracking walls, making some store floors a mess, and leaving office desks covered with dust from shaking ceiling tiles. Home chimneys crumbled, garages collapsed, and household items shattered on the floor.
The federal government has pledged to help:
President Trump issued an emergency declaration Friday, allowing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help coordinate Alaskan relief efforts.
A great many roads and bridges were heavily damaged in the immediate vicinity of the quake’s epicenter, leading to complications in the cleanup effort.
Only one serious injury has been reported so far, from a homeowner who endured smoke-inhalation complications battling a fire that broke out in his home due to the power of the earthquake.
