Little Diomede. KNOM file photo.

Earthquake south of Diomede, no injuries reported

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck about 20 miles south of Little Diomede Sunday night. Residents of the island community reported feeling the quake, but did not report any injuries.

Diomede's Tribal Coordinator, Frances Ozenna, noticed the earthquake around 9:40 p.m.

“I was just getting ready for bed and I sat up wondering ‘that’s weird’, but I didn't know it was an earthquake," Ozenna said.

Residents 30 miles to the east in Wales also reported feeling the quake. No injuries or damage were reported in either village.

An orange dot shows the approximate location of the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Little Diomede. earthquake.usgs.gov
An orange dot shows the approximate location of the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Little Diomede. earthquake.usgs.gov

According to the Alaska Earthquake Center there is a wide zone of seismic activity that extends from northwest Alaska across the Bering Strait and into eastern Russia. Little Diomede resides on the northern boundary of the Bering microplate.

Seismic events along the Bering microplate have happened before, although they’re not common. The largest on record was a magnitude 7.3 earthquake near Huslia in 1958.

Last week a magnitude 5.3 earthquake was observed near McGrath. No significant damage was reported.

Did you enjoy this News story?

Consider supporting our work by becoming a one-time or recurring donor.

Scroll to Top