The 10 Most Horrifying Natural Disasters That Ever Happened In Alaska
By Courtney|Published July 04, 2016
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Courtney
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Living and loving life in Alaska, Courtney enjoys living a happy life based on simple principles; work hard, be kind, stay humble. She is an avid dog lover with hobbies that include running, fly fishing, hiking & snowboarding.
With the largest state in the nation, we count our blessings daily that we don’t have horrendous natural disasters that happen frequently. Luckily, they are pretty few and far between up here. Most common are earthquakes, tsunamis, tundra and forest fires, avalanches, flooding, volcanic eruptions and landslides. It’s the ripple effect that happens after a single natural disaster that causes multiple other types to collide all at once that is truly terrifying. Check out these 10 horrifying natural disasters that have happened in Alaska and get ready for a bone-chilling blast from the past.
A magnitude 9.2 earthquake occurred in the Prince William Sound region of the last frontier that changed everything. Of the 131 people that were killed, 119 of which died in the tsunami aftermath. The horrifying natural disaster destroyed roads, buildings, entire cities and remote villages.
2. 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Katmai National Park
Said to be the most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century, this historic event formed what is now known as the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. It was said that residents in Juneau (nearly 750 miles away) could hear the booming sounds from the explosion.
Located in Southeast Alaska, this 7.8 magnitude earthquake produced what is now known to be the tallest tsunami in the world. The impact was heard from over 50 miles away, likely partially due to the rock-slide that was said to be about 90 million tons.
The worst on record in Alaska State history, these wildfires burnt more than 6,600,000 acres with around 701 total fires (the largest being the Taylor Complex Fire). It is said that these fires were the largest in U.S. history from 1997 - 2007.
Many Alaska State officials said that this was the largest avalanche that they had ever seen (or heard of) touching a road. It closed the only road into Valdez for a long while. The debris from the avalanche were said to be about 100 feet tall and up to 1,500 feet wide.
Sending a smoke plume about 37,000 feet into the air and up to 400 feet away, this volcanic eruption caused multiple airlines to cancel flights for days on end. Located roughly 592 miles southwest of Anchorage, even airlines in Anchorage were closed due to limited visibility.
The Sockeye Fire & Funny River Fire were the two largest in what went down as the second largest wildfire season in Alaska state history. Around 233,529.5 acres were burned in total and the mess continued for weeks on end as lightening and dry weather negatively contributed to the disarray.
After completely covering the Seward Highway along the Turnagain Arm and blocking all access from the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage, this natural disaster was deemed a state of emergency. Wet weather mixed with fluctuating temperatures contributed to this being one of the worst years for avalanches in Alaska state history.
10. 2009 Mount Redoubt Volcano Eruption & Flash Flooding
With its biggest eruption to date, this booming explosion spewed ash over 50,000 feet high. Residents in Kenai, Nikiski, Soldotna and throughout the peninsula would wake up in the morning with their cars covered in ash. It even reached all the way to Anchorage where smoky air made visibility difficult and caused airlines to cancel multiple flights. Most shocking of all, this eruption caused a massive flash flooding through the Drift River to the oil terminal (where 11 workers were forced to hole up in a "safe haven" until help arrived).
Intrigued by Alaska history and heart wrenching disasters that left a mark on time? Check out these horrifying disasters in Alaska that include huge airplane crashes, oil spills and an unforgettable whaling disaster that left 33 ships abandoned in the freezing arctic.
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