“This Is the End of the World”

About 90 percent of all earthquakes happen here.
Very large earthquakes almost always happen at plate boundaries. That’s where tectonic plates meet. (Tectonic plates are large chunks of Earth’s crust, or outer layer.) Nowhere on Earth are there more plate boundaries than in an area called the Ring of Fire. 

About 90 percent of all earthquakes happen here.
Very large earthquakes almost always happen at plate boundaries. That’s where tectonic plates meet. (Tectonic plates are large chunks of Earth’s crust, or outer layer.) Nowhere on Earth are there more plate boundaries than in an area called the Ring of Fire. 

About 90 percent of all earthquakes happen here.
Very large earthquakes almost always happen at plate boundaries. That’s where tectonic plates meet. (Tectonic plates are large chunks of Earth’s crust, or outer layer.) Nowhere on Earth are there more plate boundaries than in an area called the Ring of Fire. 

    That morning, there had been no signs of trouble. The sky was gray, but Tom’s mood was bright. It was Good Friday, a holiday. Tom’s school was closed. He had a day off!

    Alaska had become a state in 1959. It was the biggest U.S. state. But in 1964, fewer than 300,000 people lived there. Small villages and towns were spread out across the wilderness.

    Valdez was isolated. It had no bowling alley. It had no dentist. It had no TV or radio station. Still, Tom loved his town. And he had a fun day planned.

    Later that day, a big ship would arrive in Valdez. It was called the Chena. The ship’s cook was famous in town. He always gave out candy and fruit to kids on the dock.

    Tom felt great. And why not? He had no idea what was coming. 

    That morning, there had been no signs of a coming disaster. The sky was gray, but Tom’s mood was bright. His school was closed for the holiday Good Friday, giving him an entire day to do whatever he wanted.

    Alaska had become a state just five years earlier, in 1959. It replaced Texas as the nation’s largest state—but in 1964, only 263,000 people lived in Alaska. Tiny villages and towns were spread out across the wilderness.

    Valdez itself was isolated and had no bowling alley, no dentist, and no TV or radio stations. Still, Tom loved his town—and this day off from school promised to be especially fun.

    Later that day, a big ship—the Chena—would be arriving in Valdez. The ship’s cook was famous in town for always handing out candy and fruit to kids on the dock.

    Tom, certain that an enjoyable day was ahead, never could have imagined what was to come. 

    Few forces in nature are as powerful as a strong earthquake. Most big quakes last somewhere between 10 and 30 seconds. The biggest ones can last a few minutes.

    When earthquakes happen under an ocean, they can cause huge waves called tsunamis. These waves can move at 400 miles an hour. They can stretch for hundreds of miles. Some of them are more than 100 feet tall.

    Today we know earthquakes are caused by movements deep underground. But in 1964, earthquakes were not well understood. Scientists didn’t know much about them. They didn’t know where the biggest quakes could strike.

    Take Alaska, for instance. People knew the state was prone to quakes. But at the time, many scientists might have said a big quake wouldn’t happen there.

    They would have been wrong.

    Few forces in nature are as powerful as a strong earthquake. Most big quakes last somewhere between 10 and 30 seconds. The strongest ones can last for several minutes.

    When earthquakes happen under an ocean, they often trigger massive waves called tsunamis. These waves can move at 400 miles an hour—twice as fast as a race car. They can stretch for hundreds of miles and rise more than 100 feet into the air.

    Today we know earthquakes are caused by movements deep underground—but back in 1964, scientists were still struggling to understand them. They didn’t know where the most powerful quakes could strike.

    For example, although everyone knew Alaska was prone to quakes, most scientists at the time probably wouldn’t have predicted that a major earthquake would happen there.

    They would have been wrong.

    Tom spent his free day with friends. One of the older boys, Ed, had a new car. He took Tom and some other kids for a ride around town. 

    At about 5:30 p.m., they decided to go down by the water. The Chena had arrived. A crowd had gathered nearby.

    The boys drove toward the docks. But first, Ed stopped to talk to a friend on the street. That’s when the car started to bounce up and down. 

    At first, Tom thought some joker was jumping on the car’s bumper. 

    But something big was actually happening about 56 miles away. Deep below the Pacific Ocean, the earth had suddenly moved. The land all across southern Alaska shook. 

    “It’s an earthquake!” screamed Ed. 

    The ground rose and fell and split apart. The harbor looked like it was boiling. The Chena tossed and turned like a toy in a bathtub. 

    The boys were able to get out of the car. But the street around them had broken apart. 

    “We’re trapped!” Tom yelled. 

    The shaking grew stronger. 

    Then came a moment worse than any nightmare. 

    As Tom watched, the entire Valdez waterfront crumbled into the sea. 

    Docks, buildings, and people disappeared.

    This is the end of the world, Tom thought.

    Tom spent the day with friends. Ed, an older boy, had a new car. He took Tom and some others for a ride around town.

    At about 5:30 p.m., they headed toward the water. The Chena was there.

    Ed saw a friend. He stopped to talk. The car started to bounce. Tom thought someone was jumping on the bumper.

    But something big was happening about 56 miles away. Below the Pacific Ocean, the earth had suddenly moved. The land all across southern Alaska shook.

    “It’s an earthquake!” screamed Ed.

    The ground rose and fell. It split apart. The harbor looked like it was boiling. The Chena tossed and turned like a toy in a bathtub.

    The boys managed to get out of the car. But the street around them had broken apart.

    “We’re trapped!” Tom yelled.

    The shaking got worse.

    Then came a moment worse than any nightmare. The Valdez waterfront crumbled into the sea. Docks, buildings, and people disappeared.

    This is the end of the world, Tom thought.

    Tom spent his free day with friends. One of the older boys, Ed, took Tom and some other kids for a ride around town in his new car.

    At about 5:30 p.m., they decided to go down by the water. The Chena had arrived, and a crowd had gathered nearby.

    As the boys were driving toward the docks, Ed stopped to talk to a friend on the street. The car started bouncing up and down, and Tom thought some joker was jumping on the bumper.

    In reality, something tremendous was happening about 56 miles away. Deep below the Pacific Ocean, the earth had suddenly moved. The land all across southern Alaska shook.

    “It’s an earthquake!” screamed Ed.

    The ground rose and fell and split apart. The harbor looked like it was boiling. The Chena tossed and turned like a toy in a bathtub.

    The boys were able to get out of the car—but the street around them had broken apart.

    “We’re trapped!” Tom yelled.

    The shaking became more intense.

    Then came a moment worse than any nightmare.

    As Tom watched, the entire Valdez waterfront crumbled into the sea. Docks, buildings, and people simply vanished.

    This is the end of the world, Tom thought.

Unbelievable Destruction 
The Great Alaska Earthquake was the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded. It killed 115 people across the state and caused millions of dollars in damage.

Unbelievable Destruction 
The Great Alaska Earthquake was the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded. It killed 115 people across the state and caused millions of dollars in damage.

Unbelievable Destruction 
The Great Alaska Earthquake was the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded. It killed 115 people across the state and caused millions of dollars in damage.

    After about four-and-a-half minutes, the shaking stopped. But the terror did not.

    Tsunamis hit Valdez and other towns. They pushed boats into the streets. Oil and gas tanks exploded. Fires burned for days.

    Miraculously, only 115 people died in Alaska. But 32 of them were in Valdez.

    And that wasn’t all. Valdez was still at risk.

    Scientists came to town. They studied the quake. They learned that most of Valdez had been built on sand and bits of rock mixed with water. The quake made the ground melt away. That’s why the waterfront crumbled.

    And it could happen again.

    After about four-and-a-half horrifying minutes, the shaking finally stopped—but the terror continued.

    Within minutes, tsunamis began crashing into Valdez and other towns, pushing boats into the streets. Oil and gas tanks exploded, and fires burned for days.

    Miraculously, only 115 people died in Alaska—but Valdez, with 32 deaths, was especially hard hit.

    And soon the people of Valdez received another shock: Their town remained in serious danger.

    After the quake, scientists visited Valdez to study the event. They discovered that most of the town had been built on sand and tiny bits of rock mixed with water. When the shaking started, the ground melted away, causing the waterfront to crumble into the sea.

    And it could happen again, experts warned.

    The people of Valdez weren’t ready to give up. They came up with a plan to rebuild 4 miles down the coast. The ground was more solid there. Within two years, a new Valdez was born. 

    Today nearly 4,000 people live in Valdez. Some say it’s the most beautiful town in Alaska.

    If you are lucky enough to travel there, you might meet Tom Gilson. After the shaking stopped, Tom slowly made his way home. His family was safe. His house was still standing. 

    Tom is in his 70s now. He knows how lucky he was. Still, the sadness of that day remains in his heart. “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about the earthquake,” he says. 

    The people of Valdez didn’t give up. They rebuilt 4 miles down the coast. The ground was firmer there. Within two years, a new Valdez was born.

    Today nearly 4,000 people live in Valdez. The town is beautiful.

    Go there, and you might meet Tom Gilson. When the shaking stopped, he went home. His family was safe. His house was still standing.

    Tom is now in his 70s. He knows he was lucky. Still, the sadness of that day stays with him. “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about the earthquake,” he says. 

    Rather than abandoning their beloved community, the people of Valdez decided to rebuild 4 miles down the coast, where the ground was more solid. Within two years, a new Valdez was born.

    Today Valdez, which has been called the most beautiful town in Alaska, has nearly 4,000 residents.

    If you’re fortunate enough to travel there, you might meet Tom Gilson. After the shaking stopped, Tom slowly made his way home and learned that his family was safe and his house was still standing.

    Tom, now in his 70s, knows how lucky he was. Still, the sadness of that day remains in his heart. “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about the earthquake,” he says.