Friday, March 27, 1964: Alaska earthquake

A devastating earthquake spread death and destruction through half a dozen Alaska cities Friday night. The shock set up tidal waves which swept down the west coast of the continent, doing heavy damage and taking more lives. The death toll could reach into the hundreds. There was no way to assess the number of dead and injured immediately.

-- Associated Press (link to Vancouver Sun, March 28: @)

-- Photo from U.S. Army. Caption: "Collapse of Fourth Avenue near C Street in Anchorage due to a landslide caused by the earthquake. Before the shock, the sidewalk on the left, which is in the graben, was at street level on the right. The graben subsided 11 feet in response to 14 feet of horizontal movement."

Note: The earthquake, which measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, killed 131 people -- 116 in Alaska and 15 in Oregon and California (according to the Alaska Earthquake Information Center, linked below).

* Vancouver Sun, March 30: @

* "Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964" (University of Alaska Anchorage): @

* "The Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami of March 27, 1964" (U.S. Geological Survey): @

* "Historic Reports Reissued for Great Alaska Quake 50th Anniversary" (USGS): @

* "50th Anniversary of the 1964 Earthquake" (Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs): @

* "The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964" (Alaska Earthquake Information Center): @

* "Great Alaskan Earthquake and Tsunami: Alaska, March 1964" (Popular Mechanics, 2007): @

* "Benchmarks -- March 27, 1964: The Good Friday Alaska Earthquake and Tsunamis" (EARTH magazine, 2014): @

* Anchorage Museum exhibit: @

* Photos, USGS: @

* Photos, Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: @

* Footage (Alaska Film Archives): @

* Video (USGS): @ 

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