03/28/2025
61 years ago, in the late afternoon, Alaska shook as the second-largest earthquake ever recorded destroyed Anchorage and Prince William Sound communities.
Moments later, underwater landslides generated local tsunamis in Prince William Sound, which immediately arrived in those coastal communities before the earthquake had ended.
A larger tsunami crossed the Pacific Ocean, reaching Hawai'i and Japan, and reached the U.S. West Coast, wrecking locations like Crescent City, California, where 11 died and 29 city blocks were destroyed.
139 people lost their lives, 124 directly from the tsunami. In today's dollars, this event cost more than $4 billion. If this quake were to occur tonight, it would be worse, with more people living in Alaska and more infrastructure, industry, and activity along our coasts and on the water.
This event serves as a reminder that today is the only day we can use to prepare, as our lives and experiences can change in a moment.
Read more about this day with the help of our NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information team:
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/great-alaska-earthquake
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Weather Service (NWS)
Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
U.S. Coast Guard
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
Pacific Tsunami Museum
American Samoa Tsunami Program
The TsunamiZone
US NOAA NWS - UNESCO IOC International Tsunami Information Center
US National Weather Service Honolulu & Central Pacific Hurricane Center
US NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
US National Weather Service Eureka California
