Topic: 50 years ago

[Scalphunter]

The largest earthqake to  shake North American happen March 24. The Good Friday Qake.

http://www.livescience.com/44414-images-1964-great-alaska-earthquake.html

[DanS]

Reading up on that one (I actually don't remember it, being only 8 yrs old) I was amazed reading about the tsunamis it produced and how they caused more casualties that than quake itself. One article mentioned "The tallest tsunami wave height was 219 feet (67 m) in Shoup Bay in the Valdez Inlet."  ... would get my attention for sure.

[SlowModem]

I don't remember much about it either.  But what stuck with me were pictures of the road being unnaturally broken and raised.

[GregJ]

I remember it well.  I was 12 years old.  I vividly remember us being glued to the black & white TV getting the latest images we could.  The roads were one thing, but I also remember the bay going dry....  Here is a good video from that event.  Dang... this makes me feel old.... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGhYMM2xeEo

Greg

[Scalphunter]

Valdez harbor was the  bay that dried up.  Alaska Steam Vessel the Chena was tied to the dock unloading when it happen. The Habor  bottom was glacier silt and it slough off into deeper water. 300 foot deep to be exact . Taking the water front with it. So it dried up then refilled.  they found boxcars which you can still see if know where to go 2 miles  from where they were. Valdez of today is an new town. The old Valdez  at the site of the drestruction is gone.  Just a few  concrete pads are left and foundation of the old postoffice. Everything else was move to 4 miles away site and rebuilt. The  old site  has been declare unbildable  due to glacier deposit. much like   the Puget sound region also is  all deposit material.

 The elders that day tried to tell other what was coming  but like most youth they didn't listen and wanted to go after strand fish etc. Some  just  chose to ignore what they were being told.  Also the  fuel oil in Valdez caught fire and the  wave coming in was descripted by one  person as an wave of fire. Must been an sight to see as it was also dark at this time or at least dusk in many the area.

At the time of this my wife  was in Goshen, Indiana going to high school and I was in SE Asia.

John



John