The Great Alaska Earthquake

I faintly remember when this was reported in the news.

I remember my parents talking about that quake. Believe it or not, my husband has for some reason kept up with Alaskan quakes. That 9.2 lasted for about 7 minutes I believe. I couldn't live through something like that and yet I know here in Los Angeles we are always told to ready ourselves for a large scale quake. I guess I shouldn't say happy anniversary on this one. It will be curtains for many should one like that hit here.

I had no recall about this. At the time I would have been in school and working so news wasn't a big priority at time of my life. I'll have to read about it.

I found this website with photos showing the aftermath. http://www.greatlandofalaska.com/pictures/geologic/1964/

I hadn't thought of that in a long time. I have magazines, including a LIFE Magazine and newspapers that I've kept all these years (at least I think it's LIFE) in my cedar chest along with magazines and newspapers of the JFK assassination, etc. The magazines have many pictures of the damage - it was astounding!

Thanks, Marp, for posting the link for the photos. I haven't really looked at my magazines in years, and it still almost brings tears to my eyes to see this kind of catastrophic damage.

I was in Washington as a teen but I don't remember anything about it.

eta: After looking at the photos, the damage done was devastating-

A few years ago we drove to old Valdez to see the remnants of the town. Here is the story of the tsunami. They were loading a ship and everyone on dock was gone. Someone said his wife was home and he saw the trailer tumbling out to sea.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/tsunamis/alaska/1964/webpages/1964valdez.html

Devastation is putting it mildly. I do remember a documentary on Jamaica having a town on the coast that went entirely under when a large quake hit and sunk it in minutes. Probalby for the same reasons as the Valdez devastation. Bad stuff.

I remember that very well. I was in elementary school and had a school pen pal in Anchor Point. Her name was Anna.