Alaska earthquake: Trump calls 7.0 magnitude quake to hit near Anchorage a 'big one'
Tsunami warning issued in wake of tremor but later lifted
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 7.0 magnitude earthquake has struck near the city of Anchorage in Alaska, causing major damage to a number of roads and buildings.
A tsunami warning was issued for parts of the state but officials later cancelled it, as residents began posting videos of ceiling tiles falling and furniture rumbling in the quake.
Former governor Sarah Palin was among those who say their homes have been damaged, but she tweeted that her family was safe in spite of the damage to her home.
Scientists say that this particular earthquake was caused by two tectonic plates moving apart, and images of roadways show areas where roads simply collapsed in place as if the ground had been moved out from underneath.
No deaths were reported from the earthquake, but President Donald Trump did weigh in to say that the state has the full support of the American government for any recovery needs.
"To the Great people of Alaska. You have been hit hard by a 'big one'", Mr Trump tweeted from Argentina, where he is attending the G20 summit. "Please follow the directions of the highly trained professionals who are there to help you. Your Federal Government will spare no expense. God Bless you ALL"!
Mr Trump stopped short of issuing a disaster declaration for the state, but Alaska Governor Bill Walker said that he is in contact with the White House for recovery as things proceed.
"From the incident command centre established at Joint Base Elmendorf and Richardson we are closely monitoring reports of aftershocks and assessing damage to roads, bridges and buildings," Mr Walker wrote on Facebook announcing a state disaster declaration. "My family is praying for yours. God bless Alaska".
Read along for live updates as they happened on Friday
Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load
Around 10,000 people in Alaska are said to be without power after the earthquake
Here is some incredible footage from inside of a home at the time of the earthquake.
↵Some more footage from a camera running in an Alaska home at the time of the earth quake.
The US Geological Survey has a forecast model for aftershocks in the wake of a big earthquake.
It says that there is a 78 per cent chance of 0-23 aftershocks of a magnitude 5 or greater in the next week.
Over the next 24 hours, there could be anywhere between 10-1,000 aftershocks of a lesser magnitude.
A motorist saw this while driving around in chilly Alaska after the earthquake earlier on Friday.
The Associated Press spoke with some scientists who have described the fault line that produced the Alaska earthquake. Here is that report:
Scientists say the damaging Alaska earthquake and aftershocks occurred on a type of fault in which one side moves down and away from the other side. Seismologist Lucy Jones told reporters Friday at the California Institute of Technology that the fault is within the Pacific tectonic plate that is diving under Alaska, a mechanism that produces the largest earthquakes in the U.S. Jones says the type of damage being reported is not surprising. She says the area in which the quake occurred has loose sediments containing lots of water and when the ground moves it creates liquefaction, or "temporary quicksand." Jones says liquefaction can cause damage to structures because the ground moves out from beneath them.
Here are photos of the damage caused by the Alaska earthquake to roadways there. Notice that snow is on the ground and temperatures in Anchorage are under 30 Fahrenheit (-3 Celsius).
Reports from inside of shops in Anchorage indicate that items were flung off of shelves during the earthquake, and some shelving became unbolted from walls and collapsed.
Videos from inside of buildings show parts of ceilings falling off during the earthquake. Others show dark stores where items had been knocked to the floor.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments