A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On April 1, 1946, a magnitude 8.6 earthquake centered near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands triggered a tsunami that pounded the Hawaiian Islands with waves up to 55 feet tall, killing 159.
And it was front page news in the Deseret News.
According to historical accounts, the 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Unimak Island in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, generating a tsunami that caused the greatest damage and number of deaths in Hawaii’s history, leading to the creation of the United States’ first tsunami warning system.
The tsunami caused the greatest damage and number of deaths on inhabited Pacific islands. In Hawaii the waves reached about 55 feet high and killed 158 people, most in the town of Hilo, while in the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia the waves reached even higher to 65 feet but killed only two people. Chile’s Easter Island also got nearly 28 feet.
In North America the highest waves were in California at over over 8 feet and killed one person there.
The “Ring of Fire” is a region surrounding the Pacific Ocean where about 90% of the world’s earthquakes and 75% of its active volcanoes occur.
In 1964, a bigger earthquake struck Alaska again, this time on March 27. The ‘64 Great Alaska Earthquake is considered the second largest ever recorded at magnitude 9.2.
The ground shook for four to five minutes. Again, the temblor produced a tsunami that wreaked havoc along the West Coast. Overall damage was estimated at $2.3 billion. The quake and tsunamis killed 131 people.
The 1946 and 1964 earthquakes raised awareness in Alaska that the only warning of a dangerous local tsunami will be the shaking of the ground itself. Another 7.0 quake hit on Dec. 1, 2018, but Alaskans were prepared.
Scientists say the state averages 40,000 earthquakes a year, with more large quakes than the 49 other states combined. Southern Alaska has a high risk of earthquakes because the Earth’s plates slide past each other under the region.
Even today, scientists say that an eruption from Mount Spurr, a volcano near Anchorage, is likely to erupt in the coming weeks or months.
Here are some stories from Deseret News articles about earthquakes in Alaska and how it impacts the Ring of Fire countries:
“1946 tsunami on veteran’s mind”
“Experts: Alaska quake damage could have been much worse”
“Alaska quake renews focus on emergency readiness”
“Dozens of cars pulled from Alaska auto graveyard”
“Back-to-back earthquakes shatter roads and windows in Alaska”
“Tsunami-hit towns forgot warnings from ancestors”
Alaska volcano may erupt in the next few weeks — with ‘little or no additional warning’
