The Great Alaska Earthquake: 50 Years Later

Alaska Public Media | By Ellen Lockyer

Published March 25, 2014 at 6:00 PM AKDT

This week, Alaska commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Great Alaska Earthquake. The calamity destroyed whole towns, took lives and still stands as the largest earthquake to ever rock North America. KSKA takes a look at how one Alaska Community, Seward, rose to the challenge of rebuilding after the quake and seven tidal waves flattened most of the town.

This hourlong radio documentary is produced by APRN's Ellen Lockyer.

Seward Museum Library curator Kate Ruhland shows seventh-grader Janet Thomas' recollection of the 1964 earthquake and tsunami.

REPORTER: Ellen Lockyer

BROADCAST: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. AKDT

REPEAT BROADCAST: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. AKDT

Listen now:

The three clocks pictured here stopped at exactly 5:36 p.m., the moment the earthquake hit Seward. Seward Library Museum.

Seward Library Museum curator Kate Ruhland shows a piece of artwork by third-grader Byron Loomis depicting the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

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Ellen Lockyer

APTI Reporter-Producer Ellen Lockyer started her radio career in the late 1980s, after a stint at bush Alaska weekly newspapers, the Copper Valley Views and the Cordova Times. When the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Valdez Public Radio station KCHU needed a reporter, and Ellen picked up the microphone. Since then, she has literally traveled the length of the state, from Attu to Eagle and from Barrow to Juneau, covering Alaska stories on the ground for the AK show, Alaska News Nightly, the Alaska Morning News and for Anchorage public radio station, KSKA elockyer (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8446 | About Ellen

See stories by Ellen Lockyer