A major quake in 1964 changed the way the state designed its cities A powerful earthquake rocked Anchorage, Alaska, last Friday, sending horrific videos of swaying rooms and fractured roads rippling out across social media. Yet amazingly, no deaths were reported as a result of the 7.0 quake?a testament to Alaska?s commitment to resilience.
?Building codes mean something,? Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said in a press conference Friday.
When the earthquake struck at 8:29 a.m. local time just eight miles outside of Anchorage, officials braced for the worst. The shaking began with a sharp jolt and lasted for a minute, causing many people to run outside. Worries immediately circulated that snow and freezing temperatures would hamper relief efforts. Alaska only sees about six hours of daylight this time of year. Yet no large buildings collapsed, a handful of structure fires were quickly put out, and even though many homes and businesses were damaged, there was no loss of life. Although some roads were shown completely impassible, with large swaths of asphalt shattered like ice, no bridges or other major pieces of infrastructure were destroyed.
Geologically, Alaska lucked out. Even though Friday?s earthquake struck in a highly populated area, the epicenter was relatively deep?about 25 to 30 miles below the ground?meaning that a lot of its energy was released before it reached the surface.
But the real reason that this earthquake in Alaska was not more destructive can be attrib...