The Miracle of Resurrection Bay

On Good Friday in 1964, Alaska suffered the effects of the largest earthquake to ever hit North America. It destroyed much of the state’s economy, and the coastal city of Seward, about a 2-hour drive south of Anchorage. These steadfast sentinels of stone and trees deflected the deadly force of a tsunami that was on a course to destroy the town of Seward.

The 30-foot drop of the earth’s crust, resulting from the powerful earthquake, forced the seas into deadly tsunamis. A 120-foot wave entered Resurrection Bay, on which Seward is located, only to hit the many mountain islands and shoreline peaks so that by the time it hit the town, it was reduced to 30-feet in height.

There was massive destruction, but with time, the area and residents have recovered. The town, once a commercial port, is now a thriving tourist destination. On a recent boat tour around the bay, the beauty of these magnificent mountains that dip down into the sea made me catch my breath and whisper, “thank you”.