The holiday season rumbled into Skagway last weekend when a powerful, earthquake struck in a remote area north of the community. The 7.0 magnitude was recorded about 56 miles from Yakutat near the U.S.-Canada border on Saturday, December 6.
A video posted online by Skagway resident Jan Tronrud posted online shows items inside the Skagway Thrift Store swaying on the racks.
Tronrud used a bit of humor to deal with the earthquake, saying items in the store were “marked to move.”
Although there were no reports of damage locally, the earthquake sent officials with the U.S. Geological Survey into action. USGC officials said the quake struck about 230 miles northwest of Juneau, and 155 miles west of Whitehorse.
There was no tsunami warning, and both U.S. and Canadian officials said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury. In Whitehorse, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Calista MacLeod said the detachment received only two 911 calls about the earthquake.
According to the USGC, the earthquake occurred at a depth of about 6 miles and was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks.
Austin Holland, director of operations at the Alaska Earthquake Center, said he expects the aftershocks to “remain quite numerous” in the area in the coming days and weeks.
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