Strong M6.3 earthquake hits near Nikolski, Alaska
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 struck 84 km (52 miles) SSW of Nikolski, Alaska, at 11:17 UTC (03:17 AKDT) on September 3, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 35 km (21.7 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth. A tsunami is not expected from this earthquake, according to the NWS National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC).
Epicenter of M6.3 earthquake near Nikolski, Alaska, United States on September 3, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 84 km (52 miles) SSW of Nikolski (population 18), 1 536 km (954 miles) SW of Anchorage (population 291 247), 1 557 km (967 miles) SW of Eagle River (population 24 793), and 1 566 km (973 miles) SW of Knik-Fairview (population 14 923), Alaska, United States.
5 000 people are estimated to have felt weak shaking.
A tsunami is not expected from this earthquake, NWS National Tsunami Warning Center said.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry construction.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.3 earthquake 84 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska – USGS – September 3, 2026
2 M6.3 earthquake Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands – EMSC – September 3, 2026
3 M6.3 earthquake Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands – NTWC – September 3, 2026
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
