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KVOS Special: Alaska Earthquake - The Day After
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- [NON-SPEECH]
- This was the city of Kodiak, Alaska a week before Easter.
- Kodiak is the largest town on the Kodiak Island
- and is the oldest permanent settlement in Alaska.
- It was founded in 1792 by Alexander Baranov.
- Kodiak Island is a rugged, mountainous land
- with many long finger-like bays creating magnificent scenery.
- The city of Kodiak is situated on the northeastern corner
- of the island.
- Nestled at the base of 1,400-foot Pillar Mountain.
- About 3,500 people live here.
- Nearby is the Kodiak Naval Station headquarters
- for the 17th US Naval District.
- Kodiak is the fishing capital of Alaska,
- is well-known to fishermen from the United States and Canada.
- And this was how it looked on Friday morning March 27th.
- In a moment, we'll look at Kodiak the day after.
- This is the 49th of the 50 United States.
- At 5:45 PM on March 27th, the hardest earthquake
- to hit North America in a century
- shuttered and ripped the south central portion of this state.
- The epicenter was somewhere in this area.
- Hard hit were the cities of Valdez, Seward,
- and Alaska's largest city Anchorage.
- The damage and the death toll at these cities
- was caused mainly by the quake itself.
- Here is Kodiak Island separated from the mainland
- by Shelikof Strait.
- Unlike other Alaskan areas, Kodiak
- suffered hardly any earthquake damage.
- Instead, it was three gigantic tidal waves
- which took 3/4 of its business section
- and dumped it upside down.
- The three waves, which terrified the population,
- came sweeping into the city of Kodiak
- through Saint Paul Harbor.
- [NON-SPEECH]
- The people of Alaska are a hardy and determined bunch.
- The old timers there will tell you
- that it is an ingrained trait, that stamina and guts are
- important in some cases to survival
- in this northern state.
- It is for this reason, that despite damage now
- estimated to exceed $400 million,
- Alaska's Governor William Egan says he is hopeful.
- To give you an example, after we talked with Walter Kraft, whom
- you saw and heard, he continued to poke around
- in the rubble that was once his store.
- He found this ashtray.
- It had been made to celebrate the store's 60th birthday
- last year.
- He wiped the mud off with his hand,
- handed it to me with a grin, and said, "Here, have a souvenir."
- This is Andy Anderson.
- Goodnight.
- [NON-SPEECH]