1964 Alaska earthquake

Striking south-central Alaska on March 27, 1964, the Great Alaska earthquake was the most powerful ever recorded in North America and one of the strongest ever measured. The magnitude 9.2 to 9.3 megathrust rupture along the Aleutian Megathrust lasted 4 minutes and 38 seconds, killed about 139 people, and caused immense damage through shaking, landslides, subsidence, and tsunamis. Anchorage suffered severe urban destruction, while Girdwood was relocated and Portage abandoned. Local and distant tsunamis damaged places from Prince William Sound to California, Hawaii, and Japan. The disaster permanently reshaped parts of Alaska and transformed how the state studied hazards and rebuilt.

Tatitlek, Alaska · United States