Alaska earthquake updates today: magnitude-5.1 north of Yakutat, steady aftershocks in the border region, no tsunami alerts

A shallow magnitude-5.1 earthquake struck roughly 100 km north of Yakutat in the Gulf of Alaska hinterland during the past 24 hours, part of a broader burst of seismic activity spanning Southeast Alaska and the nearby Yukon. Regional monitors logged dozens of small follow-ups, most too weak to feel, while emergency officials said there was no tsunami threat for Alaska’s coast from these inland events.

Where the Alaska earthquake hit and what time it occurred

Preliminary readings place the M5.1 quake north of Yakutat around 16:56 UTC (7:56 a.m. AKST, Sunday), at shallow depth. Shaking reports were modest and concentrated in sparsely populated terrain, with some communities along the northern Gulf and inside passage noting light, short-lived tremors. Smaller quakes continued into Monday morning Alaska time, including a pair near the Burwash Landing–Haines Junction corridor just across the border, an area that routinely shares seismic systems with Southeast Alaska.

In recent days, the border region also experienced a strong mainshock in the high-6 to 7.0 range centered in the Yukon, which launched an aftershock sequence felt from Haines and Skagway to parts of northern British Columbia. The latest M5-class event near Yakutat appears to be related to the wider stress state of the Pacific–North American plate boundary, not an offshore subduction-zone rupture.

Why no tsunami alert for Alaska

Tsunami risk along the Gulf of Alaska primarily stems from large offshore earthquakes that vertically displace the seafloor. The weekend and Monday events were inland and crustal, lacking the seafloor motion needed to generate hazardous waves. Coastal residents may still feel shaking from inland quakes, but the absence of a basin-wide tsunami signal and the onshore epicenters kept the alert level low.

What Alaskans reported—and what to expect next

• Intensity: Light to weak shaking, brief duration; no widespread damage reports as of publication.

• Aftershocks: Typical sequences follow a main event with numerous small aftershocks that decrease in frequency over days to weeks. Occasional felt jolts are possible, especially in Southeast and along the Yukon border.

• Infrastructure checks: Standard post-quake inspections focus on bridges, hillside roads, and utilities in frost-prone or slide-susceptible areas. No major disruptions were confirmed in the immediate aftermath.

Quick guide: what to do after a felt earthquake in Alaska

1. Check your space: Look for toppled items, gas or water leaks, and hairline cracks around chimneys or fuel tanks. If you smell gas, shut it off at the meter if safe and call your provider from outside.

2. Be aftershock-ready: Keep a headlamp and sturdy footwear by the bed for nighttime jolts. Expect smaller quakes; move cautiously around shelves and glass.

3. Document shaking: Community intensity maps rely on resident input. Use the national “Did You Feel It?” form to log where you were, what you felt, and any minor damage.

4. Travel with care: In mountain corridors and along the Glenn, Richardson, Haines, and Alaska highways, scan for rockfall, fresh cracks, or ice calving on cut slopes following tremors.

5. Review your kit: A seven-day winter kit—water, shelf-stable food, meds, spare heat source, battery packs—remains the Alaska standard, especially during cold snaps.

Context: Alaska’s active faults and why the Yakutat area shakes

Alaska sits astride the most seismically active zone in North America. The state’s southern rim absorbs motion where the Pacific Plate pushes northwest against and beneath the continent. Around Yakutat Bay and the St. Elias Range, a complex tangle of faults accommodates that stress, producing frequent moderate quakes and occasional strong events. Farther west, the subduction interface has generated historic giants, including the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake. By contrast, Sunday’s M5.1 was a crustal strike within the continental margin, strong enough to rattle shelves locally but far below the threshold for major, widespread damage.

What to watch in the next 48–72 hours

• Aftershock pattern: A tapering cadence is normal. A few felt M3–M4 tremors wouldn’t be unusual near the border and northern Gulf.

• Weather interactions: Freeze-thaw cycles can destabilize slopes after shaking. If temperatures swing above and below freezing, expect heightened rockfall risk on steep cuts.

• Official updates: Regional seismic networks typically refine magnitude, depth, and location over the first day. Expect minor adjustments as more stations feed the solution.

Safety checklist for Alaska households

• Secure water heaters, bookcases, and fuel tanks; use strap kits on tall furniture.

• Store breakables low and latch cabinets in kitchens and RVs.

• Stage emergency lighting at bedsides; keep a whistle and gloves in each room.

• Map two exit routes from your neighborhood in case bridges or overpasses are closed for inspection.

 The M5.1 north of Yakutat and a string of small aftershocks near the Yukon border kept Alaska’s seismic sensors busy, but no tsunami alerts were warranted and impacts were minor. Residents should stay aftershock-aware, report what they feel, and keep winter-ready kits handy as the sequence settles in the days ahead.