# Major earthquake hits Anchorage, AK **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 30, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342 "2018-11-30T18:29:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/1 "2018-11-30T18:29:00Z")
[Article](https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1052693/alaska-anchorage-earthquake-us-earthquake-tsunami-usgs). Much smaller than the 1964 quake, but the epicenter was very close to Anchorage and caused quite a bit of damage. Heard from my nephew, so that’s good. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/2 "2018-11-30T18:50:23Z")
It’ll probably change, & I understand breaking news stories have updates to facts, but [CNN.com](http://CNN.com) has text that says, “7.0 earthquake strikes Alaska” while the photo right below it has a Breaking News crawler that says, “6.7 magnitude earthquake near Anchorage, Alaska” Clearly, one of them is FAKE NEWS! That means that 46-1 is right! :eek: :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/3 "2018-11-30T19:12:29Z")
6.7 was the preliminary reading, but I’ve seen one that says it’s a 7.2. It sounds like it’s mostly minor property damage and some fractured roads, and a lot of frightened people. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/4 "2018-11-30T21:14:45Z")
[Photo](https://www.facebook.com/groups/youknowyougrewupinanchorageif/permalink/2064393743621205/) of a road in the Wasilla area. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/5 "2018-11-30T21:55:44Z")
That road is crazy. I’ve seen pix on CNN that show some really broken roadways. No reporting of injuries or fatalities yet. Hope that stays correct. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/6 "2018-11-30T22:44:26Z")
I thought of you as soon as I got the notification **Chefguy**. (Hawaii’s civil defense sends out messages assessing the tsunami threat to Hawaii, so I hear about big quakes in Alaska pretty quickly.) > [@Chefguy](#): > > 6.7 was the preliminary reading, but I’ve seen one that says it’s a 7.2. **It sounds like it’s mostly minor property damage and some fractured roads,** and a lot of frightened people. Maybe it’s because I came into this thread after browsing ATMB, but I misread that as “it sounds like it’s mostly minor property damage and some fractured mods.” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/7 "2018-12-01T00:30:20Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > That road is crazy. I’ve seen pix on CNN that show some really broken roadways. No reporting of injuries or fatalities yet. Hope that stays correct. My nephew and his wife have a shit-ton of pottery they’ve picked up in Mexico over the years. I would guess that their house is now paved with shards. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/8 "2018-12-01T03:20:25Z")
Speaking of the 1964 quake, when I was stationed in California one of the other gals in my barracks was from Alaska. She went through the 1964 quake when she was ten years old. She said she and her family got outside and just clutched the ground. She told the rest of us that she saw level ground rippling in waves, like water. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/9 "2018-12-01T06:32:09Z")
[Updated AP story has a bunch of excellent pics](https://apnews.com/75f4de6bdf7541a0a944e72c9e6edf18). ETA: and says Governor Bill Walker was in a high-rise elevator when the quake occurred; he said it was a “rough ride”. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/10 "2018-12-01T06:47:01Z")
I’ve read building foundations are setting on permafrost. The foundation doesn’t give much support during earthquakes. Alaskans will be in serious trouble if global warming thaws the permafrost. > **[Why thawing permafrost matters](https://phys.org/news/2018-01-permafrost.html)** > > In Bethel, Alaska, walls are splitting, houses are collapsing, and the main road looks like a kiddy rollercoaster. In the coastal town of Kongiganak, sinking cemeteries prevent Alaskans from burying their dead in the ground. The village of... ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/11 "2018-12-01T15:02:42Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Speaking of the 1964 quake, when I was stationed in California one of the other gals in my barracks was from Alaska. She went through the 1964 quake when she was ten years old. She said she and her family got outside and just clutched the ground. She told the rest of us that she saw level ground rippling in waves, like water. I was a high school junior and can confirm that. Tree tops were slapping the ground, and all the parked cars were lurching back and forth, tires screeching. Very apocalyptic. I somehow managed to get out of the house without being knocked off my feet, which I marvel at to this day. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/12 "2018-12-01T16:15:02Z")
Chefguy, is Alaska efficient in getting earthquake damage repaired? Will they be out there fixing that road and restoring utilities in the next few weeks? I’ve noticed the response to damage varies from state to state. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/13 "2018-12-01T16:22:35Z")
That road just shattered. Quite a photo. > **[7.0 earthquake, aftershocks strike Southcentral Alaska; damage reported...](https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2018/11/30/large-earthquake-strikes-southcentral-alaska/)** > > Seismologists called the quake the most significant in the state’s largest city since 1964, in terms of how strong the ground itself shook. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/14 "2018-12-01T16:38:19Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Chefguy, is Alaska efficient in getting earthquake damage repaired? Will they be out there fixing that road and restoring utilities in the next few weeks? > > I’ve noticed the response to damage varies from state to state. They’re already on it. There were also rock slides, etc. that need to be cleared. Primary concern is to get the power back on, as Anchorage is having freezing temps at night. Re: your comment about permafrost. That’s a condition that is present in the Arctic, not in Anchorage. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/15 "2018-12-01T16:46:41Z")
When my brother bought a house in a subdivision east of Muldoon — backing up on Fort Rich, as it was known at the time — everything was being built on pilings driven down to a (relatively) stable footing. Not sure whether that was a code requirement, but his impression was that pretty much everything in the area was built in the same manner. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/16 "2018-12-01T16:47:27Z")
Glad to hear they are already beginning the cleanup and restoration of service. We’ve had large areas of towns flattened in tornadoes. There were tornado warnings here last night. Thankfully nothing got hit. I understand the pain that natural disasters can cause and how badly people want to resume normal life. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/17 "2018-12-01T18:50:05Z")
People who live there were reporting that it sounded like the ground snapped apart. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/18 "2018-12-01T19:46:06Z")
SIL’s house in Eagle River has some major structural damage. Hope she had good insurance! Does the season impact the response efforts? Gotta be cold and dark up there… And there aren’t a surfeit of alternative routes once you get outside the city. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/19 "2018-12-01T22:48:21Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > SIL’s house in Eagle River has some major structural damage. Hope she had good insurance! > > Does the season impact the response efforts? Gotta be cold and dark up there… And there aren’t a surfeit of alternative routes once you get outside the city. It’s getting a bit below freezing at night right now, but the power is back on for most of the city. The winters in Anchorage are reflecting global warming everywhere. Last winter saw almost no snowfall. **OttoDaFe** : Most of the areas that have been built up outside of the older parts of Anchorage are on muskeg (what we called ‘moose pasture’). It’s nasty, boggy stuff, and if it’s not properly dug out and back-filled with good rock and soil, then things are gonna get dicey. Any houses that are not slab-on-grade have a sump pump in the crawlspace. The roads are going to take some time to get back to normal, of course. Travel both north and south of the city are impeded, and it will take months for the northbound highway to be fully repaired, so detours will be the norm. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342/20 "2018-12-01T23:02:42Z")
A good place for stories and news is the [Anchorage Daily News](https://www.homedepot.com/p/James-Hardie-HardieBacker-3-ft-x-5-ft-x-1-4-in-Cement-Backerboard-220022/100183556). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-earthquake-hits-anchorage-ak/825342.md?page=2)