This Day in Alaska History-March 27th, 1964

The largest landslide in Anchorage occurred along Knik Arm between Point Woronzof and Fish Creek, causing substantial damage to numerous homes in the Turnagain-By-The-Sea subdivision. Courtesy of Wikipedia

*J.C. Penney Department Store at Fifth Avenue and D Street, Anchorage District, Cook Inlet Region, Alaska, 1964. Courtesy of USGS*

It was on this day in 1964 that a massive 9.2 earthquake in Southcentral Alaska.

The massive quake at 5:36 pm on March 27th caused much devastation throughout the region and generated a huge tsunami that inundated many communities in the region.

The quake was the largest in the history of the United States and initially killed 15 people while the resulting tsunami killed an additional 100 people in the new state and another 13 in California as well as five in Oregon.

The megathrust earthquake endured for four minutes and thirty-eight seconds and ruptured over 600 miles of fault and moved up to 60 feet in places.

The deadly quake occurred 15 and a half miles deep 40 miles west of Valdez and generated a ocean floor shift that created a wave 220 feet high.

As many as 20 other smaller tsunamis were generated by submarine landslides.