Anchorage cargo terminal rolls with 7.1 quake

Residents in Anchorage and on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula were awakened early Sunday morning by an earthquake that measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. While there were no reports of major damage or injuries in Anchorage, workers at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) were given the ride of their life by the shaking. Take a look at this video of ANC’s cargo terminal, which shows the strength of the event.

Alaska’s state seismologist, Michael West, said this was the strongest quake in south central Alaska in decades. The epicenter was approximately 160 miles southwest of Anchorage,  but it was close enough to send goods flying off shelves in the city’s grocery stores. The Kenai Peninsula was hit the worst, with isolated power outages, as well as a gas leak and subsequent explosion that destroyed four homes in the city of Kenai. Fortunately no one was hurt.

Those who remember the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake in Alaska said this one started out the same way – an eerie rolling, followed by several hard jerks. The 1964 quake lasted over four minutes, measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale. This weekend’s temblor had one other similarity – trees bending to the ground.