This is a developing story.
Juneau felt the shock from a series of at least six earthquakes that occurred approximately 100 miles northwest on Thursday afternoon.
The quakes, the strongest of which was roughly 4.4 magnitude, posed no tsunami threat according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center, and Capital City Fire/Rescue received no calls, said Assistant Chief Ed Quinto.
Larger quakes, which have historically not been prevalent in Juneau, can create serious risks, Quinto said.
“[Quakes can cause] structural damage, structural collapse, walls coming down, trees coming down on houses- people getting trapped,” Quinto said. “We have a special structural collapse team to handle that.”
The team is specially trained by experts to handle that particular type of damage. That team was deployed along with many other specialists to Haines in the wake of the devastating landslides of December 2020.
The best practice in case of an earthquake is to get out of the building, Quinto said. If that’s not an option, seek shelter under a table or door frame to avoid falling debris, Quinto said.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at (757) 621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
