Update: Earthquake shakes Southeast Alaska

Update | June 4 at 12:55 p.m. 

The epicenter apparently was near Rendu Inlet between the east and west arms of Glacier Bay. While there was no tsunami, Tom VandenBerg says 4 a.m. was kind of exciting in the town of Gustavus.

“Everything was shaking a little bit and our houses were rocking back and forth.”

VandenBerg is Supervisory Park Ranger for Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. He says two groups of researchers up the east and west arms of the bay radioed some interesting accounts.

“We had a group of bear researchers up near Russell Island, who are staying on our ranger station, which is a floating raft. And they reported rocks coming down from some of the hillsides, some strange sounds from ice bergs and some rolling bergs and just kind of an eerie experience but no major outward damage,” VandenBerg says.

A backcountry ranger crew is camped near McBride Glacier in the Muir Inlet side of the bay.

“They said the McBride Glacier just started calving, pretty incessantly, apparently for about 15 minutes straight, so lots of ice coming out of that inlet probably over the next couple of days.”

VandenBerg says there were no signs of damage in the park.

Update | June 4 at 7:15 a.m.

The earthquake was about 49 miles west of Haines, and 60 miles west of Skagway.

Haines police reports no calls when it struck, but in Skagway, police dispatcher Willeke Burnham say she received a couple.

Skagway PD is close to the water. Burnham says it felt like she was on a boat.

“The building shook quite a bit and then it felt like I was on the water. And it lasted pretty long too, maybe about a minute, minute and a half,” she says.

Small aftershocks were still being felt in Southeast Alaska two and a half hours after the initial quake, according to the Alaska Earthquake Information Center.

Update | June 4 at 5:39 a.m.

The Alaska Earthquake Center tweeted this update:

 

The National Tsunami Warning Center says there is no tsunami danger at this time.

If you felt the earthquake, you can report your observations to the USGS here.

Original Post | June 4 at 4:43 a.m.

An earthquake shook some Southeast Alaska residents out of bed early Wednesday morning.

The 5.8 preliminary magnitude quake with a depth of about 14 miles hit just before 4 a.m., according to the Alaska Earthquake Information Center. It was centered about 100 miles northwest of Juneau, 66 miles northwest of Gustavus and 48 miles west of Haines. It was felt in the capital city and other Southeast communities.

Several smaller aftershocks were recorded in the region as well.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.

The epicenter was roughly 100 miles northwest of Juneau. (Map courtesy USGS/Google Public Alerts)
The epicenter was roughly 100 miles northwest of Juneau. (Map courtesy USGS/Google Public Alerts)

 

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