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.
