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2 weeks ago
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Alaska has been hit by a strong 5.0 magnitude earthquake, just days after remnants of Typhoon Halong brought a record storm surge to western Alaska on Sunday.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected the quake at 11:48am ET, about 39 miles off the coast of Akutan, which is home to nearly 1,600 people.
While a small community, Akutan has the largest fish processing plant in North America, which processes millions of pounds of fish daily.
More than a dozen people have issued reports of shaking to the USGS, with the number increasing.
The earthquake struck along the Aleutian Arc, which consists of several active and dormant volcanoes.
The seismic activity to the south comes as thousands of people living in the northwestern region of Alaska are being airlifted to safety.
The record storm surge battered their low-lying communities over the weekend, wiping away homes and killing at least one person. Two others are missing.
The coastal villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were among the hardest hit, with homes completely demolished and submerged.
This is a developing story... More updates to come.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected the quake at 11:48am ET, about 39 miles off the coast of Akutan, which is home to nearly 1,600 people
The seismic activity to the south comes as thousands of people living in the northwestern region of Alaska are being airlifted to safety
The Aleutian Arc marks the region where the Pacific Plate subducts into the mantle beneath the North American Plate.
It is a seismically active region, evidenced by the thousands of earthquakes occurring each year.
While the earthquake hit nearly 40 miles offshore, the shock waves were strong enough to reach Dutch Harbor, a harbor on Amaknak Island in Unalaska.
Dutch Harbor serves as a crucial center for the largest US and one of the world's largest sustainable fisheries, the Alaska pollock fishery.
It is also an important international shipping hub due to its ice-free status and proximity to major Pacific Rim routes.
The typhoon remnants ripped through Alaska on Sunday, unleashing water levels more than six feet above the highest normal tide line in some areas.
In one of the most significant airlifts in Alaska's history, hundreds were being flown about 500 miles to Anchorage, after a shelter in the regional hub city of Bethel was filled with dozens of evacuees.
