On March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2 earthquake lasting more than five
minutes rocked south central Alaska, leveling waterfronts, collapsing
bridges, and crumbling landscapes. The most powerful quake in North
American history and ensuing tidal waves left homes broken, children
orphaned, and infrastructure decimated. Yet, from within the tragedy
also came stories of heroism, community, and perseverance from Alaskans
who rode the earth as it shifted more than 14 feet, who floated atop
roofs as the tsunami hit, and who searched through rubble and deserted
homes amid devastation, heartbreak, and the beginning of recovery.