Home surveillance captures parents rescuing children from earthquake

ANCHORAGE, Al. (CNN) —  Home surveillance video captures the moments when a powerful earthquake struck Anchorage, Alaska Friday. 

Anchorage resident Jesse Elmore and his three kids were up getting ready for school.

“I just started the coffee pot poured myself a cup of coffee. I felt it,” said Elmore. 

Home video surveillance shows Elmore keeping it cool for the kids, as he thought it was just another Anchorage earthquake. Two children were in the main room of the house, the third was downstairs. As the quaking intensified, the frantic race to get the family to safety began. 

“First thing that went through my mind was ‘earthquake,’,”: he aid. “This is a bigger one than we’ve had in a while. The dad in me kicked in.”

Elmore isn’t the only shaking example of parental instincts kicking in and the whole scene captured on home cameras. It was a similar start to the day for the Skiljahs.

Wife and mother Jennifer Skiljah was doing her makeup Friday, and as the earthquake hit, her husband grabbed their child and ran for the exit. She was a few seconds behind.

“I was like okay this is it, this is the end of the world,” she remembers. 

All family members made it out safely. In fact Alaska authorities haven’t reported any deaths from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Damage is widespread across the region.