Historic Earthquakes

Gulf of Alaska
1987 11 30 19:23:19 UTC
Magnitude 7.8

Damage at Yakutat, northwest of Juneau, consisted mainly of broken glassware and cracks in plaster, drywall, windows, and a foundation. Light damage occurred at several other towns. Also, cracks in wet ground were reported at Yakutat. Strong building vibrations made it difficult to stand or walk. Two ships in the epicentral area were damaged, and three others in the area felt the shaking strongly. A small tsunami was recorded at Seward, Sitka, and Yakutat. This earthquake had the largest magnitude of any event in the region since that on October 9, 1900.

Abridged from Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), by Carl W. Stover and Jerry L. Coffman, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1993.