1964 Alaska earthquake
Sunday marks the 58 anniversary of the strongest earthquake to hit North America. The quake was centered about 74 miles southeast of Anchorage. Just about all of Alaska felt the 9.2 earthquake. It was reported that the Space Needle in Seattle some 1200 miles away wobbled.
At 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964—Good Friday—the earth trembled just as many Alaskans were sitting down to dinner. Eyewitnesses described hearing a crunching, grinding noise as the earth shook. They recalled seeing asphalt roads rise and fall like waves and the ground opening and closing before them, water shooting up through the ensuing cracks. As bad as the tremors were, the worst was yet to come. The earthquake triggered a swell of devastating tsunamis, landslides and submarine slumps which caused massive property damage and loss of life. The death toll reached 131 people: 15 died during the initial tremors and the rest in the subsequent tsunamis and landslides.
Four minutes may not seem like a long time, but when it comes to earthquakes, it’s an eternity. Geological surveys taken immediately afterward showed parts of the Alaskan coast sank up to eight feet, other parts rose up to 38 feet and much of the coast moved 50 feet towards the ocean.
As the tremors ended, local tsunamis sprung up almost immediately, leaving residents little to no time to flee for higher ground. A massive tidal wave crushed the small, coastal village of Chenega four minutes after the tremors subsided—the town lost a third of its population. Local tsunamis also caused destruction in Kodiak, Whittier and Seward.
Downtown Anchorage had the most property damage mainly due to immense landslides, one of which dropped the business district nine feet.
Thousands of strong aftershocks continued for weeks after the earthquake, some measuring greater than magnitude 6.2.
For the ones without power or heat the high/low was 32/ 25 the lows were in the teens the rest of that March and it was colder than average even for Alaska standards for the month of April. Meanwhile here is Grand Rapids it was even colder that Anchorage as the H/L was 30/18 and there was still 2” of snow on the ground from the 4” that fell on the 25th That year another 2.9” fell on March 29th here in GR
Hopefully this weekend is the last of the really cold that we see until next winter season.
Slim
Slim Thanks for the great post. My husband and I enjoyed reading it. I remember hearing and learning about the Alaskan earthquake while in school. I find all that interesting but I surely don’t want to experience one.
I hope you are right about this possibly being the last of the cold till next winter. I am ready for Spring.
The weather outside is cold currently 28* degrees outside with snowflakes fallen feels like January I am posting on a weather blog right?? Lol….InDY!!
Yes it is like mid winter! Rock n roll will never die
Thanks Slim! Haven’t heard to much about that one before. Can’t even imagine witnessing something like that. Sorry most of the comments today have nothing to do with the post.
What an incredible late March day! I still have snow on the ground! Wow!
+100000 Indy!!
We got a little over an inch overnight and this morning. None of it stuck to the paved surfaces and the warm ground make quick work of it. There’s is hardly any left on the grass now.
Currently 29* degrees with snow showres beautiful Spring day in west Michigan….InDY
Residents of the Southern Arctic, should be familiar with our climate. We toil through “winter/snow” from October through May…no surprises here. We have a long way to go. Shiver and suffer, or move further Sourh.
Rock on!
Let it snow let it snow let it snow..currently with a temperature of 29* wow just wow for the end of March I must say ….InDY
It felt great to outside to shovel some more fresh SNOW! A solid 2 inches up here in Northern Kent County! WOW! Of course Andy will chime and say just a dusting and he will be golfing later today! What a joke! Winter just keeps ROCKING and ROLLING!
Wow a 9.2 earthquake? That’s even bigger than the Japan earthquake from 11 years ago (9.1)!
For the word snow and temps in the 20’s that wasn’t supposed to happen again till next Winter as its been said so many times on here lately >>>> whooooops ….lol..InDY
As you know Indy this happens every year around late FEB! The warm weather nuts have one day up in the 50’s and they say winter is over and then they start clamoring for nice warm Spring weather! They get a couple nice days and then bam back to reality! It has happened many years in a row! Truly incredible! Typically the weather turns to warm Spring weather by late April/early May, if you are lucky!
The average length of a red light is 1.5 to 2 minutes. We’ve all sat through two red light cycles at an intersection. That’s how long this thing lasted. It must have been horrific.
Snowing hard and windy at my house. Looks more like January 26 than March 26! Ground is covered in snow
The official high at Grand Rapids yesterday was 46. Yesterdays rain changed to snow late last night and officially at GRR a reported 0.2″ fell so now for the season Grand Rapids is now at 70.1″ The official overnight low at GRR was 30 and that is the current temperature. Here in MBY after midnight there was at least a half inch of snow fall and of that around 0.2″ in now on the ground mostly on the grass and roof tops. This next week looks to have some big ups and downs with a cold start a big warm… Read more »
Yup Slim this happens every yesr when the kids go on Spring break in west Michigan cold and snow showers glad im heading south to some real warmth weather for Spring break…Thanks for the cold facts instead of fairy-tale 60s and 70s we been hearing about all month on here coming…InDY
It looks AWESOME outside right now! I wish every morning all winter would look just like this! Wow!
Grand Rapids is now to 70” for the season.
Im at around 83 inches in my area of snow I predicted 90 inches for my area I will give that A- not bad.. InDY
Let’s go for 80 inches in GR by the end of SNOW season!!
On April 1st the high temp should be in the 30 ‘s! No not April fools, just the facts! Get ready!
The latest CPC keeps the cold rocking right into the second week of April! Who would have thought? Wow, just wow! Forget golf!
Nice warm Spring uh? We are getting pummeled with Snow as we speak and mid winter cold air! What a winter and what a cold stretch! Incredible!