Early Sunday morning a strong earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
“Many Anchorage area residents were woken up at 1:30 a.m. by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that was reported near Pedro Bay,” the Anchorage Police Department said. Authorities said they had not received any major reports of damage or injuries.
The earthquake, which knocked out power to thousands of residents, could be felt as far away as Fairbanks, roughly 350 miles from Anchorage, Alaska Dispatch News reported.
The earthquake struck about 160 miles southwest of Anchorage, according to USGS. Despite its strength, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said no tsunami threat would follow the tremors due to their depth.
Earthquakes are not atypical of the region, according to geologists. Southern Alaska sits on the Pacific-North Atlantic subduction zone plate boundary, according to USGS. In 1964, the second-largest earthquake ever reported struck southeast of the most recent earthquake's epicenter. The Great Alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964 was a 9.3-magnitude quake, according to USGS.
Within 155 miles of Sunday's earthquake there have been 17 recorded quakes of magnitude 6 or higher, the strongest previously being a 7-magnitude aftershock of the Great Alaska earthquake in July 1965, according to USCG.
