Strong quake jolts urban areas of Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A strong earthquake jolted urban areas of Alaska today, 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 local time. 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 swatch of southcentral Alaska.

Aftershocks were shaking the area, with one about a half-hour later measuring 4.0.