- USGS Home
- Contact						   USGS
- Search 
USGS

- mobile menu barsUSGS Publications Warehouse
    Contact
    Explore recent 
    publications by USGS Authors
    Browse all of Pubs 
    Warehouse by Publication type and year
    FAQS
    Web 
    Service Documentation
    Other 
    Resources
    Descriptions of US Geological Survey Report Series
- USGS Publications Warehouse
- Contact
- Explore recent 
    publications by USGS Authors
- Browse all of Pubs 
    Warehouse by Publication type and year
- FAQS
- Web 
    Service Documentation
- Other 
    Resources
- Descriptions of US Geological Survey Report Series

- USGS Publications 
  Warehouse
- Explore					    
  Explore recent 
    publications by USGS Authors
    Browse all of Pubs 
    Warehouse by Publication type and year
- Explore recent 
    publications by USGS Authors
- Browse all of Pubs 
    Warehouse by Publication type and year
- Documentation					    
  FAQS
    Web 
    Service Documentation
    Other 
    Resources
    Descriptions of US Geological Survey Report Series
- FAQS
- Web 
    Service Documentation
- Other 
    Resources
- Descriptions of US Geological Survey Report Series
- Contact

### Effects of the earthquake of March 27, 1964, on the 
communities of Kodiak and nearby islands: Chapter F in The Alaska earthquake, 
March 27, 1964: effects on communities

#### Professional Paper 542-F

###### This report is Chapter F in The Alaska earthquake, March 27, 1964: 
effects on communities.  For more information, see: Professional Paper 542.

Tweet


#### Links

- More information: **USGS 
  Index Page**                                (html)
- Document: **Document**                                 
  (17652 pdf)
- Plate: **Plate 1**                                 (1353 
  pdf)
- Download citation as:  RIS

#### Abstract

The great earthquake (Richter magnitude of 8.4–8.5) that struck south-central 
Alaska at 5:36 p.m., Alaska standard time, on March 27, 1964 (03:36, March 28, 
Greenwich mean time), was felt in every community on Kodiak Island and the 
nearby islands. It was the most severe earthquake to strike this part of Alaska 
in modern time, and took the lives of 18 persons in the area by drowning; this 
includes two in Kodiak and three at Kaguyak. Property damage and loss of income 
to the communities is estimated at more than $45 million.

The largest community, Kodiak, had the greatest loss from the earthquake. 
Damage was caused chiefly by 5.6 feet of tectonic subsidence and a train of 10 
seismic sea waves that inundated the low-lying areas of the town. The seismic 
sea waves destroyed all but one of the docking facilities and more than 215 
structures; many other structures were severely damaged. The waves struck the 
town during the evening hours of March 27 and early morning hours of March 28. 
They moved from the southwest and northeast: and reached their maximum height of 
20–30 feet above mean lower low water at Shahafka Cove between 11:00 and 11:45 
p.m., March 27. The violently destructive seismic sea waves not only severely 
damaged homes, shops, and naval-station structures but also temporarily crippled 
the fishing industry in Kodiak by destroying the processing plants and most of 
the fishing vessels. The waves scoured out 10 feet of sediments in the channel 
between Kodiak Island and Near Island and exposed bedrock. This bedrock 
presented a major post-earthquake construction problem because no sediments 
remained into which piles could be driven for foundations of waterfront 
facilities.

Because of tectonic subsidence, high tides now flood Mission and Potatopatch 
Lakes which, before the earthquake, had not been subject to tidal action. The 
subsidence also accelerated erosion of the unconsolidated sediments along the 
shoreline in the city of Kodiak.

Seismic shaking lasted 41⁄2–51⁄2 minutes at Kodiak and had a rolling motion. 
Inasmuch as most of Kodiak is underlain by bedrock or by only a thin veneer of 
unconsolidated sediments, very little if any damage occurred from ground motion 
or seismic shaking. The ground motion, however, did cause a massive short 
circuit and power failure at Kodiak.

The Kodiak Naval Station, 5 miles southwest of Kodiak, was also severely 
damaged by the earthquake. The station was inundated by at least 10 seismic sea 
waves which reached a maximum height of 25 feet above post-earthquake mean lower 
low water between 11:16 and 11:34 p.m. on March 27, 1964. The first seismic sea 
wave that inundated the station did not do severe damage because it behaved much 
like a rapid rise of tide, but the subsequent and more violent waves destroyed 
most of the docking facilities and several other shoreline structures. The waves 
struck the station from the southwest and from the east.

The shoreline structures that were not destroyed required rehabilitation 
because the 5.6 feet of tectonic subsidence put them under water during the 
highest tides. Furthermore the subsidence accelerated erosion during high tide 
of the soft unconsolidated sediments and fill in the low-lying areas of the 
station.

Seismic shaking did little damage to the station housing facility, but it was 
responsible for compaction of sediments, lateral displacement of a seawall, and 
the development of fissures in the aircraft parking area. The ground motion was 
as south-southeast–north-northwest to north-south in direction.

An unusual case of radioactive contamination was reported at the naval 
station. The inundating seismic sea waves entered a building in which 
radionuclides were stored. The contamination was restricted to the building 
only, however, and did not spread throughout the station.

Afognak was abandoned because of the extensive damage incurred from tectonic 
subsistence and seismic sea waves. The seismic effects, estimated Mercalli 
intensity VI-VII, did not directly cause any significant property damage at 
Afognak Serious long-term damage, however, resulted from tectonic subsidence 
estimated to be from 31⁄2 to 51⁄2 feet. The subsidence has resulted in rapid erosion 
of the coast, landward shift and building up of bench berms to the new higher 
sea levels, and flooding of extensive low-lying areas behind the barrier 
beaches. Inundation of low-lying parts of the village by a train of seismic sea 
waves having maximum heights of 10.8 feet above post-earthquake tide level (14.5 
ft above post-earthquake mean lower low water) caused losses of about half a 
million dollars to homes, vehicles, bridges, and personal possessions.

Uzinki was damaged by tectonic subsidence and seismic sea waves. No 
significant damage resulted from the ground motion during the earthquake; the 
Mercalli intensity was about VI. However, tectonic subsidence, estimated to be 5 
feet, caused inundation of a narrow zone along the waterfront. Structures and 
vessels were damaged as a result of the seismic sea waves that repeatedly 
flooded the waterfront area after the earthquake.

Old Harbor was damaged by seismic shock, subsidence, and seismic sea waves. 
The tremors, which had a Mercalli intensity estimated at VII-VIII, toppled two 
concrete-block chimneys, cracked interior walls, and caused minor breakage of 
personal property in the homes. Regional tectonic subsidence and superficial 
subsidence of the unconsolidated deposits on which the village is situated 
apparently caused incursion of salt water into the school well. A quarter of 
million yards of fill was required to raise the waterfront areas to their 
pre-earthquake elevations relative to sea level. Seismic sea waves having a 
maximum runup of about 12 feet above tide level (16 ft above post-earthquake 
mean lower low water) destroyed 34 of the 35 residences in the village and 
presumably drowned one man who lived immediately across the strait from Old 
Harbor.

At Kaguyak, seismic sea waves having a maximum runup of about 25 feet above 
mean lower low water carried away all 10 buildings in the village, took three 
lives, and damaged an unknown number of fishing vessels. The village site has 
been abandoned. The communities of Akhiok, Karluk, and Larsen Bay were virtually 
undamaged by the earthquake tremors, which had estimated Mercalli intensities of 
VI-VII, but tectonic subsidence of about 2–21⁄2 feet at Larsen Bay made it 
necessary to raise the cannery dock level at an estimated cost of 
$80,000.

#### Study Area



#### Additional publication details

Part or all of this report is presented in Portable 
Document Format (PDF). For best results viewing and printing PDF documents, it 
is recommended that you download the documents to your computer and open them 
with Adobe Reader. PDF documents opened from your browser may not display or 
print as intended. Download the latest version of Adobe 
Reader, free of charge. More information about viewing, downloading, and 
printing report files can be found here.

Accessibility
				    FOIA				    Privacy				    Policies and 
Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior				    | 				    
U.S. Geological 
Survey				    				   URL: http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp542F 
                   				    				   Page Contact Information: Pubs 
Warehouse Contact Page				    				   Page Last Modified: September 18, 
2013 13:44:41