1964 Anchorage Earthquake
Earthquake of March 28, 1964, Prince William Sound, Alaska.
The Prince William Sound earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on the North American Continent.
It was a magnitude 8.4 earthquake, felt over 500,000 square miles. The quake took 137 lives and caused $350-500
million in property damage.
One span of the "Million Dollar" truss bridge of the former
Copper River and Northwestern Railroad was dropped into the Copper River by the earthquake, and the other truss
spans were shifted on their piers.
Photo Credit: NOAA/NGDC
The Government Hill Elementary school in Anchorage was torn apart by
subsidence of the graben at the head of the Government Hill landslide.
Photo Credit: NOAA/NGDC
This shows the Turnagain Heights landslide in Anchorage. Seventy-five
homes twisted, slumped, or collapsed when liquefaction of subsoils caused parts of the suburban bluff to move as
much as 2,000 feet (606 m) downward toward the bay
Photo Credit: NOAA/NGDC
Devastating Quake Rips Anchorage Residents Evacuated From Wide Area
Tidal Wave Felt Along Gulf Coast
Fairbanks, Alaska (AP)
Dallas Morning News - March 30, 1964 - Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
The main street of Anchorage, this state's largest city, was reported leveled by an earthquake Friday night and
word from a half dozen cities in the area told of damage, Six persons reported dead in Anchorage.
Gov. William A. Egan called an emergency meeting of his cabinet in Juneau. He said Glen Andy Lipscombe, chief of
the Army's Yukon command here, had reported Anchorage's main street "completely flattened."
A state trooper in Kenai said he had radio contact with Anchorage. He reported to Civil Defense officials here
that things were "pretty tragic up there."
Egan's office later reported at least eight persons have been killed and 30 are missing.
Six bodies have been removed from the more than 50 homes that tumbled down Turnagin Bluff in Anchorage.
The Alaska Communication System reported from Kenai, about 60 miles southwest of Anchorage, that as many as 60
to 100 persons may have been killed in Anchorage.
In Washington, the Defense Department said that as of 1:15 a.m. Dallas time there were no reports of military casualties.
The earthquake triggered a 15 foot tidal wave which raced toward Hawaii. It was expected to hit the island sometime
early Saturday.
Most communications with the city of 48,000 persons were cut off. All airports were unusable and a hanger collapsed
on aircraft at the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage.
Civil Defense officials have reported that a 17 foot tidal wave kicked up by the earthquake, which sent needles
on seismographs from Seattle to Mobile, Ala., near the top of their scales struck Seward.
There was a report from Vince Chellis, civil Defense coordinator, that Seward was "half gone and on fire".
A Standard Oil tanker was tied up there when the earthquake hit, but apparently broke away and was burning in the
bay.
The weather bureau reported a 6 foot wave of undetermined origin was surging down the Gulf Coast, snapping lines
and rolling sizable ships.
In Houston, boats tossed violently in freakish tides presumably caused by the Alaskan earthquake.
At Kodiak city, the Navy was evacuating its base for fear of a tidal wave. All people living on Cook inlet, at
whose head lies Anchorage, were ordered evacuated to higher ground.
Egan described the situation as "real bad",
"The dock apparently went in and the water supply was knocked out."
An unconfirmed report from Civil Defense headquarters here said there were about 30 people standing on the waterfront
at Valdez when it washed out. A ham radio operator said there were two confirmed deaths.
In Seattle, the University of Washington seismologist said the earthquake apparently centered in the bay across
from Seward.
the Seward area is about 1,500 miles northwest of Seattle and earth tremors were felt there.
The earthquake hit here at 5:37 p.m. (9:37 pm Dallas time) and was so strong it knocked out the measuring equipment
of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. No damage was reported in Fairbanks proper, but there was some reported at Eilson
Airport, 27 miles away.
QUAKE CASUALTY LIST
Seattle Washington (AP)
Dallas Morning News
30 March 1964
Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
Here is an incomplete list of dead and missing in the Alaska earthquake and tidal waves that wrecked the Pacific
Coast. Hometowns are from cities listed unless otherwise indicated.
Alaska
-- Anchorage
1. Clayton Baker
2. Mrs. Virgil Knight
3. Marie L. Ristigan, address unknown
4. Lee Styler, address unknown
5. William Taylor, address unknown
6. J.J. Martinez, address unknown
-- Valdez
1. Paul Greggoria
2. George Joslyn
3. Howard Kreigar
Oregon
-- Depoe Bay
1. Ricky McKenzie, age 6 Tacoma, Washington
2. Louie McKenzie age 8 Tacoma, Washington
3. Bobby McKenzie age 7 Tacoma, Washington
4. Tammy McKenzie age 3 Tacoma, Washington
Seaside
1. Miss Mary Eva Davis age 50 Seaside heart attack
California
-- Cresent City
1. William Eugene Wright age 10 months
2. Bonita Wright age 3
3. Joan Fields age 25
4. James Park age 60
5. Adolph Arrigoni age 70
6. LaVelle Hillsberry age 35
7. William Clawson age 52
8. Mrs. Clawson age 53
9. Earl Edwards age 55
10. Mrs. Edwards
11. Oren Magruder, heart attack
-- Bolinas Bay
1. Isaac T. Dirkson age 34 Sonoma, Calif.
-- Klamath
1. Air force Sgt. Donald McClure age 33 Akron Ohio
TIDAL WAVE TAKES CHILDREN
29 March 1964
Dallas Morning News
Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer
Tacoma Washington (AP)
Mrs. and Mrs, Monte G. McKenzie lost the oldest of their five children in the fire eight months ago. Friday night
tidal waves from an Alaska earthquake left them childless.
The McKenzies were sleeping on the beach at a state park near Newport, Ore., when the giant waves hit.
In a telephone call to his pastor here, McKenzie said the first wave swept over the children and they began screaming.
then a second wave hit.
When the wave receded the McKenzies found their four children had been swept to sea. The body of Ricky, 6, was
recovered, Still missing were Louie, 8; Bobby, 7; and Tammy, 3.
