Deadline Alaska (1964?)

[Music] [Music] I was out in the yard plane we were downtown shopping at Penny I was in the kitchen cooking supper I was driving home from work we were getting ready to go to church it was Good Friday you know [Music] [Music] this was my town these were my people and as I realized what massive destruction it was I became heart sick Electric Power telephone all of our water and sewer were out of service at that time of course the city did not know whether we could would have help from other people the disaster struck at the heart of the state the South Central Area hit by the Quake contains almost half the total population of Alaska in and around Anchorage where most alaskans live homes schools stores and offices automobiles business and Industrial facilities were damaged or destroyed an early survey indicated almost complete destruction of the turn again residential area severe damage was also reported in the downtown business area from almost the center of town a 30t deep Fisher ran through Fourth Avenue I couldn't get through because of the uh cracks in the pavement the pavement began to crack underneath our feet when the rumbling and the waving of the Earth had ceased we looked around and discovered that the buildings on Fourth Avenue had been completely demolished we found out the damage was severe the city of Anchorage had been hit real hard of course our Communications were out throughout the state our power was off very bad reports filtered in throughout the night from the outlying areas we did realize we'd had a very bad earthquake water was short electrical power had failed food stocks it was feared had been destroyed in a few short minutes on that Good Friday afternoon the L lives the health the safety the possessions and even more the hope for the future of half the people in Alaska had been threatened and Anchorage was not the only place hard hit there were other areas in the state that were more severely stricken than the city of Anchorage though they were smaller some of them were completely wiped out or almost totally Paralyzed by the damage the city of Seward was a sad sad sight to alaskans Seward was struck by a tidal wave docks and buildings were damaged fuel oil tanks in the city burst into flames bridges on Railroad and Highway routes approaching the town had been destroyed landslides had also severed the railroad and the highway routes to Seward aircraft alone could bring help to the stricken City in Valdes the Waterfront was destroyed by the tidal wave that followed the Quake the business District burn burned Army troops moved in to evacuate all civilians from the area in whiter oil storage tanks burned out and Ducks were destroyed Alaska entirely dependent on the sea or almost so was left by the Quake with no sea port facilities all her docks had been destroyed Homer was also Washed by the tidal waves that followed the earthquake small craft and other property destroyed at Kodiak the damage was severe stores Harbor facilities homes and the fishing Craft on which these seafaring people depend for their living were destroyed lives were lost as the tidal wave came rolling in Old Harbor and Indian village on Kodiak Island was almost completely destroyed the homes of over 200 people swept away at the time of the earthquake I was away on a boat over to Port hob the American whing station that was closed down for 30 or 40 Years first we didn't know what it was uh that was happening and until we seen the Rocks falling down from the mountains all around us we started running away from the shore we looked back it was low tide and uh we noticed that the tide was falling extra faster so we gave the boat full trotle as fast as it can go to get back here to Old Harbor was I first thought something happened over here we came back awful fast we came through the channel we noticed the village was dark we didn't see any light plants and we didn't see any people which made us real scared as we came through the Narrows We Came Here full speed and just before we got to the moing someone noticed the people on top of the hill I ran to our home which was over here I guess I I can't even about point out the place where it was it's all gone bad as things were for the old haror Indians that night for others they were even worse over a 100 alaskans were dead or missing and believe dead others were injured scores were homeless half the people in the state had suffered some loss some had lost everything they owned but there was no disorder no Panic no looting few of those most directly affected by the Quake seemed to feel as helpless as they were none seemed hopeless and yet these people urgently needed help it became very evident that Alaska had sustained a very severe earthquake as the night wore on we began to realize actually how widespread This Disaster was and we began to wonder does the outside world know that we have been completely cut off from the point of view of an Alaskan I think the word that most occupies the mind is alone because in Alaska we feel very far away this feeling has been removed to a great extent by the fact that the people who have come here to help us to find out what we need have in fact come here it's very reassuring to an Alaskan who feel so far away from the other United States to know that congressmen Senators people of great import have gotten on planes and come up to Alaska to find out what has happened on Saturday the office of emergency planning arrived on the scene as the office of emergency planning began its operations we here in Alaska fully realized what it was to have such tremendous assistance the office of emergency plan o was created in 1961 in any peacetime emergency or disaster like this one in Alaska oep as a staff arm of the president of the United States coordinates all disaster activities of all other agencies we naturally got to Anchorage as soon as possible after the Quake leaving Seattle Tacoma Airport on the first available aircraft at 7:30 Saturday morning as Regional director for this a area I headed the OE staff in Anchorage my name is cre Tuli Ray Wilman our natural disaster coordinator was also there as was John maky Regional representative we were all from O's Region 8 offices in Everett Washington Ralph Burns natural disaster coordinator of region 7 in Santa Rosa California came to Anchorage to our job was to coordinate plans and policies of all city state and federal agencies for mobilizing whatever resources might be needed to meet this particular emergency Edward a McDermot director of the office of emergency planning arrived in Anchorage on the presidential plane Air Force 1 accompanied by Alaska's two senators El Bob Bartlett and Ernest Greening who rushed in to meet with Governor Egan the director met at once with city and state officials to make immediate plans for necessary help people forget how many agencies perform the normal functions of our peacetime life or how many different officials May Come Together on the spot when things go wrong to Alaska now there were coming or there would come a Cabinet member a roving Ambassador Senators members of President Johnson's special commission to study earthquake damage and map longrange plans for Alaska's recovery officials of the Red Cross the salvation Army and other private organizations as well as all those working for the many federal agencies involved in a disaster of this magnitude the core of engineers to repair flood control facilities the small business administration to make small loans the treasury Department to make big ones the Department of Defense to help protect lives and property the general Services Administration to offer Surplus Goods the Public Health Service to save lives the department Department of Agriculture with Surplus Foods there were people too from the Bureau of public roads from the federal housing Administration from the Department of the Interior the Veterans Administration the Bureau of Indian Affairs there were or there would be coming others from the Departments of Labor Commerce health education and Welfare from the housing home and Finance Agency the Internal Revenue Service the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation agency the US weather bureau the Interstate Commerce Commission the Bureau of mines and there were or there would be people from the Alaskan Railroad from the fisheries and canaries from the big oil companies whose tanks had burned and from other businesses and industries with facilities and investments in the damaged area all these people and a literal host of other state and city officials and members of other private organizations had shared in the disaster and would have a hand in whatever plans would be made for Alaska's recovery it was Mr McDermott's job and O's responsibility to see that all the work of all these people and these agencies made sense he had to see therefore the damage that had been done the problems with which the staff in Anchorage would have to deal sometimes the air is so clear and clean in Alaska that the colors all seem true right out of the painter's box and the definition of every scene is as sharp and bright as a landscape laid out with a straight edge and painted by a draftsman or an engineer the Frozen mountains are there and the ice cold sea that's the way things looked from the air when the Earth had finally settled down once more and only trembled somewhat now and then you could feel the challenge this country h for its people there was no Panic there was a sense of of helping each other through the crisis we were working desperately to get uh everything back in shape as soon as possible even from the air you could see the damage plainly enough it was pretty severe in the turn again residential area in Anchorage it was bad in Downtown Anchorage there was only Rubble now where there had been whole blocks of stores from the air you could see in less detail but on a much broader scale how badly sew had been hit you could see the wholesale destruction at valdis you could also see how the tidal wave washing over Homer had left a puddle of sea in its weight and you could see the Desolation on Kodiak Island too realize with a shock that the Indian village that used to Nestle along this Shore is now completely gone gone with the tidal waves that swept in from the sea our two or three houses broke loose I was on the hill up there just like a bird in this Nest watching everything go on below it I guess the whole the whole village had the bird's eye view of the houses and everything then the water went way out and this time it dried the bay up right in half and we were all just shocked and didn't know what to think it was horrible and we didn't know if was going to be any worse it was we figured the damage it had done already and then it came in came roaring down through that pass and the tide was Raising at that time and this time when the water came in it flooded up all over up into that pass up there and then when the water swept back out it took all the houses out to sea with them leaving only their school their church and one or two other buildings intact but ruined by the sea but back at an Anchorage again seeing that time when the disaster had struck still set on the face of a shocked and Broken Clock there was the conviction that all this would be fixed the damage would ultimately be repaired Alaska would recover the process of recovery had already been set in motion and was underway the big job of cleaning up after the earthquake had begun from emergency funds available to the president under Public Law $875 a check for $5 million was presented to the people of Alaska shortly after the Quake had struck within a matter of just a few days time an additional $50 million had been appropriated by Congress for the president's disaster fund on March 30th the Monday morning only 2 days after the catastrophe Mr McDermot returned to Washington to report on the effectiveness of both civil and Military agencies concerned in meeting what he called perhaps the greatest natural disaster in the recorded history of North America one of the most edifying experiences I have had Mr mcdermid said was to observe the spirit of the people of Anchorage and other Alaskan cities in the midst of Devastation the director of each oep regional office is delegated the responsibility for directing and coordinating Federal disaster relief activities within his region funds made available Able by the president for disaster relief may be used for the following purposes for performing protective work essential for the protection of life and property performing emergency health and sanitation measures clearing debris and wreckage and making emergency repairs and temporary replacement of essential public facilities of states and local governments damaged or destroyed in such major disasters this includes Provisions for temporary housing or emergency shelter the responsibility of O officials in the field centered in Anchorage there in the city hall Annex the onetime school building at which their temporary office was set up daily meetings were held at each day's meeting plans were made and policies set to meet the most immediate and pressing problems each meeting opened with a general report from CRE Tuli who served as the presiding officer as of this morning 26 people are known dead 79 are missing and presumed dead but this does not include the casualties in the tan area 56 have been injured and hospitalized damage estimates have been revised as of today to $29 million in public and 24,5 46,000 in private property the final estimate exceeded these figures reaching a total of 295 millions of dollars in public and private property damaged or destroyed then officials representing other agencies reported on their findings and activities on troubles encountered and needs that had developed the day before the core of engineers reported they were continuing inspection and awarding contracts for emergency repairs to Elmendorf Air Force Base and to Fort Richardson oep gave District Engineers a verbal go-ahead to undertake all federal restoration and cleanup assistance in Anchorage and Seward Advanced teams were already in Valdes and Seward crash programs were underway to locate construction camps and barges additional Engineers were coming in from Seattle and more were due to arrive the Navy and Bureau of yards and Ducks were ordered to continue technical assistance to Kodiak and to perform all Cleanup and restoration of essential facilities there on the road to Seward 17 Bridges were reported out snow and landslides blocked the Highway cracks in its surface would have to be filled the railroad was in no better shape much of its equipment had been damaged or destroyed the right of way had also been blocked by slides wash outs Bridges destroyed and trackage no longer considered safe the railroad was very aggressive in moving ahead with restoration service it was reported would be restored in 2 weeks on most of the line Red Cross officials report reported on what they had done so far and were prepared to do in assisting people left homeless by the Quake food clothing help and comfort were being provided the Salvation Army reported on its part in distributing emergency supplies and also in giving Aid and comfort to victims of the Quake It was generally agreed that there were no major problems regarding the present availability of food supplies and the reports continued the work still waiting to be done was planned engineering and eligibility criteria were established for the restoration of schools and other public buildings destroyed in Anchorage boys like this were still idle and doubtless longing to return to the classroom and creative but properly supervised activities there was nothing now for the kids to do but play a state of affairs that would have to be corrected soon there was no martial law anywhere in Alaska all during this emergency all military services continued to furnish however basic support in critical areas supplies were airlifted in military planes 121 refugees from the city of Kodiak were airlifted to Seattle and 279 natives from old Harbor and Elsewhere on Kodiak Island were evacuated to Anchorage where they were temporarily HED Ed in the airport Heights School a great many other rescue flights were made by military aircraft during the emergency without such flights many alaskans might have been lost their towns and cities isolated and cut off for days with roads and railroads blocked aircraft became Alaska's only means of long-distance transportation and her only link with the world outside for all Alaskan ports were closed except the Anor City Port and this was operative only on a limited basis with immediate recovery of Seward and vald's extremely doubtful and with Whittier cut off by the blocked and inoperative railroad the restoration of Anchorage Port facilities was a prime necessity but there was confidence everywhere the state Commerce Commission advised that all banks in the state were open and operating without incident Anchorage Banks reported more deposits than withdrawals on their first day open after the Quake even though temporary banking facilities sometimes had to be devised for even then almost immediately after the Quake alaskans could feel secure and even somewhat cheerful about their plight no matter what damage their homes their cars their stores and offices and shops may have sustained our bookstore had sunk many feet down into the Earth and our Second Story had fallen down down after several days we were allowed to go back to the store and Salvage as many books as we could we of course had to look for a new location as did many people in the area we found a much smaller store and we've since been trying to squeeze all our books into this very tiny space we're very optimistic about the future though and we have many plans to build a better bookstore great hope came to us when we got the word that President Johnson had declared Alaska a major disaster area the following day just less than 24 hours after the earthquake shook us to our very Roots the office of emergency planning was landing at Elmendorf Air Force Base right near Anchorage here to take over and assist us in our recovery efforts in a few short hours they had undertaken a tremendous task stayed uh two nights at the Navy Barracks uh CB Barracks where they they treated us real good they gave us child it was good to be on some someplace solid then from there they flew us up to Anchorage they had a temporary Quarters at uh school but they couldn't keep us long there because the school was to be open again they moved us out to Camp Denali the Army uh National Guard station they gave us quarters there and we lived there until we returned here to start construction it was through the immediate action of OE that Alaska was able to recover as quickly as it has without this valuable assistance Alaska would be far from the recovery stages that we are now in it would have entailed passage of new laws it would have entailed funding uh indebting the state tremendously in order to assist the population assist the cities in their recovery efforts one of the things that one thinks about when one is as far away from the other United States as Alaska is representation we wonder if we are part of the family and when our political fathers come to check on our well-being this is real assuring and we know that we are in fact part of the family that is America what you have seen here is just a handful of individual alaskans some of them too small to testify the shock of that good Friday afternoon is over now and life goes on but Alaska has not yet fully recovered from what o director Edward a McDermot rightly called the greatest natural disaster in the recorded history of North America it will be years before its recovery is complete the extent of the damage and the loss sustained can be measured only in part by the amount of money earmarked for the state more than $240 million granted or appropriated by the federal government to help alaskans rebuild their schools and homes their stores and offices and industries and to restore defense and other government facilities within the state yet because of this because of the president's immediate response to Alaska's need because the office of emergency planning had been set up to function effectively at once whenever a disaster of this kind May strike alaskans began almost at once to rebuild work begun the very morning after the Quake was well underway a few weeks later their Harbor destroyed by tidal waves that followed the Quake Kodiak residents with OE and Navy help built a small boat harbor in nearby Gibson Cole to repair the commercial fishing boats on which kodiak's life almost depends oep funded and the Navy shipped from San Diego a floating Dry Dock to replace one lost in the disaster crab fishermen had gone to Sea again and the canaries were back at work at Old Harbor an emergency tent city had been built by the villagers with help from oep the Red Cross and the Bureau of Indian Affairs the men were impatient only to rebuild more permanent homes in the few short weeks of Summer before the frost set in again in Kodiak the Red Cross loaded a ship with furniture for old Harbor families still huddled in their tents the railroad Alaska's vital link between its sea ports and its Inland towns had been repaired but trains were once more running roads were open and the big trucks rolling in the port of Anchorage was open and working too unloading ships to land much needed supplies automobiles equipment clothing Lumber and other supplies lost in the Quake unloading ships unloading planes whereever you looked in those first few weeks you could see alaskans at work they pull down structures damaged by the shot they cleaned up the debris left in the disaster's weight disrupted utilities were repaired and service restored they laid down temporary water lines and graded the land torn open by the quake and sometimes rolled into Ravines that ran like waves across their towns this was the present to which alaskans awoke with a shock on Good Friday afternoon of 1964 but a few weeks even a few days later the city was back to something like its normal life but what of the future the children have gone back to school in what kind of cities and towns will they grow and live in years to come what lessons will alaskans and all of us learn from the great disaster of that good Friday afternoon in 1964 led by Senator Clinton P Anderson of New Mexico the special commission established by a presidential Proclamation on April 2nd just 6 days following the quate came to Alaska to plan reconstruction of the state's facilities with an eye to Future long range needs we want to make sure Senator Anderson said that what we spend money on is not necessarily what was there before but what will be needed for the future with this kind of federal support alaskans have more than met the challenge of the present they are preparing to meet the challenge of the future too drilling into their uncertain ground probing to find what lies below determined to outguess by Design to rebuild to plan and so to ensure against another disaster of the kind that struck on March 27th 1964 at 5:36 p.m.