On July 16, 2025 at 12:37 PM AKDT, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake ruptured offshore of the Alaska Peninsula. The earthquake was located 56 miles (90 km) south of Sand Point, the nearest community, at a depth of about 9 miles (15 km). 

This event was felt throughout the Alaska Peninsula and southern Alaska. There were reports of objects shaking and falling in buildings, but no immediate reports of damage.

The July 16, 2025 magnitude 7.3 earthquake (blue focal mechanism "beachball") is the fifth earthquake larger than magnitude 7 to occur in this region since 2020. Colored dots show aftershock clusters for each earthquake, black triangles are seismic stations. (Click on map to enlarge.)

This figure nicely shows the arrival first of strong vertical motion, followed ~10 seconds later by equally strong horizontal motion. The nearest seismic sensor recorded strong shaking, with a peak ground acceleration of about 100 cm/s². Vertical motion came first, like an elevator suddenly dropping—enough to jolt you and give that weird stomach feeling, but not enough to cause injury. About 10 seconds later, strong horizontal shaking followed, similar to the sensation of a car braking hard from 20 mph. That side-to-side motion is what typically causes more structural damage. You can see this in TikTok and Instagram videos, where TVs and loose objects slid noticeably across counters.