Today is the 43rd Anniversary of the 1964 Good Friday Tsunami that hit Kodiak and the rest of Alaska. Being such I did some research to what actually occurred here and found some sad but interesting facts. Overall there were 115 deaths from the earthquake and tsunami. It is the largest earthquake in North America and the second largest ever recorded at magnitude 9.2. Here in Kodiak the initial ground shocks did little damage. Fisherman nearby in St. Paul harbor (downtown in the harbor) noticed a long, gentle swell followed by a sudden ebb. The water receded until the remaining depth was only two feet. The 160 boat fishing fleet sat on the bottom of the harbor in mud. A series of giant waves stuck the harbor, beginning at 6:20 pm. The waves picked up boats and waterfront buildings, propelling them three blocks into town (as the following photos show). Two crab and salmon canneries were obliterated. (information obtained from NOAA and USGS)
Kodiak sustained over 31 million dollars in damage which I believe looking at these photos. Shoup Bay up near Valdez had a recorded 67' wave while Kodiak had a 6.1'. Narrow cape (about 40 miles) had a 19' wave. We have several villages here and one of them is named Port Lions, because the village of Afognak was destroyed during the tsunami and was relocated and rebuild with the help of the Lions Club, hence the name.
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