Washington earthquake: Shaken but no serious damage

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake was widely felt across north-central Washington state on Wednesday night.

The Wenatchee World reports There were no initial reports of damage or injuries after the 7:45 p.m. quake.

Centered 14 miles north-northwest of Leavenworth, the tremor was felt in that city, as well as in Wenatchee, Chelan and the Methow Valley.

One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region occurred in 1949, when a magnitude 7.0 quake struck, according to the US Geological Survey:

Property damage estimated at upwards of $25 million resulted from a magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Olympia on  April 13, 1949. Eight deaths were caused either directly or indirectly, and many were injured. At Olympia, nearly all large buildings were damaged, and water and gas mains were broken. Heavy property damage was caused by falling parapet walls, toppled chimneys, and cracked walls (MM VIII). Electric and telegraphic services were interrupted. Railroad service into Olympia was suspended for several days; railroad bridges south of Tacoma were thrown out of line, delaying traffic for several hours. A large portion of a sandy spit jutting into Puget Sound north of Olympia disappeared during the earthquake. Near Tacoma, a tremendous rockslide involving an 0.8 km section of a 90 meter cliff toppled into Puget Sound. The felt area extended eastward to western Montana and southward to Cape Blanco, Oregon, covering about 400,000 square km in the United States. A large portion of western Canada also experienced the shock.

There was also a report of a small earthquake in Alaska Wednesday night.

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center says a magnitude 3.6 earthquake recorded in the Kenai Peninsula region was felt in Anchorage and several other communities.

The center said it had no initial reports of any damage from the minor quake that hit at 9:10 p.m. The quake was centered 27 miles south-southeast of Anchorage. It was also felt in Girdwood, Eagle River and Cooper Landing.