Magnitude-5.2 earthquake jolts Alaska's largest city; no reports of damage or in

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Magnitude-5.2 earthquake jolts Alaska's largest city; no reports of damage or

injuries

By D'Oro, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – Thu, 16 Jun, 2011

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An earthquake rocked Alaska's largest city and other parts

of the state's most populated region on Thursday, but there were no reports of

damage or injuries.

The quake struck with a magnitude of 5.2 shortly after 11 a.m., according to

seismologists at the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. It was

centred about 50 miles (80 kilometres) southwest of Anchorage, said tsunami

program manager Cindi Pressler.

The quake occurred 30 miles (48 kilometres) below ground and rumbled for several

seconds. It would not generate a tsunami, the warning centre said just after the

quake.

Kenai Peninsula officials had no reports of damage or injuries, said

Zidek, spokesman for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency

Management.

There also were no reports of damage or injuries in Anchorage, police

spokeswoman Anita Shell said. The Anchorage Fire Department didn't even get any

calls in the immediate aftermath, said dispatcher Lori Zaumseil, who shrugged

off the shaker.

" This is Alaska, " she said. " This is how we roll. We're tough. "

Anchorage schools students recently held an earthquake disaster drill, and

school district spokeswoman Heidi Embley said several were seen ducking under

their desks when the shaking started Thursday.

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center said the event was widely felt in the

Kenai Peninsula and Cook Inlet regions, with the strongest shaking occurring in

the Peninsula communities of Sterling and Soldotna.

, who works in payroll at Soldotna City Hall, said the shaking came

in two rounds.

" At first, it felt like somebody was walking across the floor here, like walking

real heavy. Then it stopped. Then was a five- or six-second delay, then it

really shook. "

The shaking continued 10 to 15 seconds, he said.

" I'm really quite scared of earthquakes, " said. " You just never know when

they are going to stop or how long it's going to last. "

Outside the Soldotna Fred Meyer store, Poitry was sitting in her car,

eating lunch, when the vehicle began bobbing.

" I thought someone was messing with my car, " said Poitry, a clerk in the store's

home electronics department. For her, the quake was no big deal.

" We get pretty used to these around here, " she said.

___

Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen contributed to this report.