Radio Leads Alaska Quake Coverage
“Scariest thing I’ve ever felt in my 27 years in Alaska,” said Bill “Stu” Stewart, PD and morning co-host on iHeartMedia Country KASH (KASH Country 107.5)/Anchorage, AK, who spoke to RAMP shortly after that powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Anchorage area on Friday morning. According to the USGS, the quake hit at 8:29am and was located about 13 miles north of Anchorage. “Since then, the area has been hit by over 500 aftershocks (check this frightening aftershock animation), with about 50 we could feel, ranging from 3.2 to 5.7 in magnitude,” says Stewart, who says residents are experiencing what has been informally dubbed “PTES,” or “Post Traumatic Earthquake Syndrome.” That’s Minnesota Parkway in Anchorage. [Photo credit: Rowena Pediangco]
Over his three decades of residence in our 49th state, Stewart (left) has felt his fair share of earthquakes. “Usually they just hit and before you react it’s over,” he recounts. “This one lasted several minutes — enough time for many of us to become religious quickly, praying it would just stop, but it kept getting more and more intense.”
On Sunday afternoon, Stewart updated us on the situation, telling RAMP, “There is now more time between aftershocks; infrastructure is intact, power is up, heat is on and all communications have been restored. Only very minor injuries have been reported. The Anchorage School District is still assessing damages to schools and buildings, and school has been cancelled through next Monday, Dec. 10.”
The Glenn Highway (left), which is the main artery commuters use to get from the Matanuska-Susitna Valley (Wasilla & Palmer) into Anchorage also sustained major damage. “We are told to expect major delays until that repair work is completed, which could take days or even weeks,” Stewart said. “Officials are requesting anyone who doesn’t absolutely have to be on it to avoid travel on the Glenn Highway.” [Photo credit: Matt Tunseth/ Anchorage Daily News]
Stewart spent several hours on the air Saturday sharing info coming in from the city’s Emergency Operations Center. “iHeartMedia Los Angeles also sent Steve Gregory [from sister KFI/Los Angeles] to town to file updates, and he was amazed at how minor the damage was in comparison to what it could have been,” said Stewart, adding, “As you can imagine, all of us in Anchorage are feeling blessed and know it could’ve been a lot worse, but it’s a testament to our Emergency Operations Center team, our first responders, and most importantly, our strict earthquake-proofing building codes in response to the big 9.1 earthquake of 1964, which was over 125 times larger and 1415 times stronger than this one.”
