Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake Strikes Near Akutan, Alaska

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 81 km SSE of Akutan, Alaska on Saturday, October 24 at 4:33 AM EDT, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake was centered 35 km below the surface. Shallow quakes like this one tend to produce stronger shaking near the epicenter than deeper events of the same size.

The USGS “Did You Feel It?” system received 3 felt reports.

There was no tsunami flag associated with this event in USGS data.

Earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 to 6 can cause light damage to poorly built structures and are widely felt near the epicenter. If you feel shaking, drop, cover and hold on until it stops, and be prepared for aftershocks.

For perspective, the USGS recorded 200 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in and around the United States over the past 30 days. Most are too small to cause damage; Alaska and California typically account for the majority of them.

The magnitude scale is logarithmic: each whole-number step represents about 32 times more energy released. A magnitude 5.5 quake therefore releases roughly 32 times the energy of a 4.5, which is why damage potential climbs so quickly with magnitude.

Preparedness basics apply wherever earthquakes are possible: secure heavy furniture and water heaters to walls, keep shoes and a flashlight near your bed, and store at least three days of water and food. After shaking stops, check for gas leaks and structural damage before going back inside.

Aftershocks are common after moderate and large earthquakes and can continue for days or weeks. The USGS publishes aftershock forecasts for significant events, and residents of the West Coast can receive ShakeAlert earthquake early warnings on their phones.

See all recent quakes on our U.S. earthquakes page and the official USGS event page, updated daily from USGS data.

This report was generated by the NPJ Data Desk from official public data and contains no invented facts or quotes. How we use automation · Report an error