ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A strong earthquake jolted Anchorage, Alaska, on Monday, sending people diving under desks and huddling in doorways. The U.S. Geological Survey said an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 struck near the town of Willow at 11:28 a.m. The epicenter was 58 miles from the state's largest city, Anchorage, where the rumbled continued for several moments. The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center reported the magnitude at a slightly weaker 5.3 and said no tsunami will be generated. The USGS had reported a preliminary magnitude of 5.7. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury, but the shaking was felt over a wide swath of southcentral Alaska. Aftershocks shook the area, with one about a half-hour later measuring 4.2. Alaska is seismically active, and has frequent earthquakes. The last one that measured stronger was a 5.8 in southern Alaska on Jan. 24.
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