ALASKA DISTRICT SPRINGS INTO ACTION AFTER EARTHQUAKE RATTLES ANCHORAGE

BY TOM FINDTNER, Alaska District

Officials for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Alaska District spent decades planning and preparing for the “next big one,” a catastrophic earthquake on the scale of the massive 9.2 seismic event that rocked the southcentral region of the state on March 27, 1964. Experts agreed another potential disaster lurked beneath the tundra, but no one could predict when or where it would strike.

On Nov. 30, 2018, at 8:29 a.m., forecasters’ long-held fears were realized when a magnitude 7.1 earthquake erupted just 7 miles north of Anchorage. While not as powerful as the Good Friday earthquake – the infamous disaster from more than a half-century ago that ranks as the world’s second-strongest temblor ever recorded – the Cook Inlet earthquake generated the most violent shaking in the area since its predecessor’s historic episode. Making matters worse, the upheaval occurred when winter temperatures hovered in the mid- to high-20s.

“Sooner or later, we knew it would happen,” said Herschel Deaton, chief of the district’s Emergency Management Office. “Fortunately, we were ready. We’ve conducted an annual cold-weather earthquake exercise for this exact situation, so everyone knew what to do.”

Robert Koruna (left) and Eric Adams of the Alaska District’s structural assessment team examine a crack in a stairwell during an evaluation of critical facilities on Dec. 4, 2018, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Photo by Tom Findtner

Immediately after the thunderous jolt, the district headquarters on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson lost power briefly before its backup generator kicked in. It operated for about two hours to keep lights and computers functional until the installation restored electricity to base facilities.

In the sudden aftermath, the organization’s first priority was to ensure the welfare of its local workforce. After quickly assessing the situation and determining that all 350 employees were safe and accounted for, the district leadership ordered the evacuation of its headquarters and surrounding buildings. A short time later, team members were dismissed to take care of their families and check on their homes.

“We were extremely fortunate that no one was killed or seriously injured,” Deaton said. “It was a unique incident because we were directly affected by the earthquake, but also expected to engage in support missions.”

Some personnel were traumatized by the experience and further troubled to discover damage to their homes and household items. Many people were inconvenienced by power outages, dismayed by cracked interior walls, and mourned the loss of shattered dishes or broken keepsakes. In severe cases, employees reported structural damage, misaligned chimneys, ruptured gas lines, and snapped water pipes at their residences. As a result, four displaced workers and their families were forced to move into temporary lodging until their homes could be repaired.

To help employees cope with these challenging circumstances, the district offered mental health counseling services and the opportunity to meet with a military chaplain.

In the spirit of taking care of its own, the organization also established a relief fund on Dec. 6 to provide one-time grants to employees affected by the earthquake. The financial assistance was intended to help with the immediate replacement of essential items such as food and kitchenware or perhaps offset a larger expenditure. The account was funded by voluntary donations from the workforce and the plan was to issue $100 allotments on a first-come, first-served basis.

According to Jodie McCarty, chief executive officer for the Alaska District Engineers Federal Credit Union, multiple team members contributed to the fund. However, apparently in keeping with the self-reliant attitude of many Alaskans, no grants were requested or issued. As a result, the money was returned to its original owners.

With the peace of mind that the workforce was securely out of harm’s way, the organization’s focus shifted to response and recovery activities. Soon after the incident, the crisis management team assembled and the Emergency Operations Center activated inside the district headquarters. In addition, officials conducted hasty inspections of both the agency’s facilities and its projects currently under construction. They identified minimal damage at each site.

“The headquarters building was built in the 1940s, but it remains an impenetrable fortress,” said William Egeberg, facilities manager for the district’s Logistics Office. “Other than a few cracks in the walls, all of our facilities held up well and are still structurally sound.”

A tour of offices and workspaces revealed items knocked off shelves and scattered about as well as a sprinkling of white powder on desktops from rattled ceiling tiles.

“It took some additional housekeeping to clean up the mess, but there was nothing major to contend with,” Egeberg said. “Overall, we came away in good shape. It could have been worse.”

On the day of the Cook Inlet earthquake, then-Alaska Gov. Bill Walker issued a disaster declaration. Within hours, President Donald Trump authorized federal emergency aid for disaster relief efforts in the Municipality of Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and Kenai Peninsula Borough.

Unlike the widespread loss of life and devastation caused by the Good Friday earthquake and follow-on tsunamis, no fatalities or major injuries resulted from this latest seismic event in the region. Despite an epicenter near the state’s most populated area (hosting about 400,000 people), destruction from the Cook Inlet shock waves was mostly limited to fractured infrastructure that included buildings, roads, and bridges.

From day one, the district’s Emergency Operations Center coordinated support for response and recovery missions in the affected area. For two months, it assisted federal, state, and installation partners with post-earthquake actions in Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

Greg Schmidt, deputy chief of the district’s Engineering, Construction, and Operations Division, served as the organization’s liaison assigned to the Alaska State Emergency Operations Center in Anchorage. In this role, he monitored activities and collaborated with other agency representatives by providing recommendations and expediting requests for district services.

For example, the organization quickly arranged emergency overnight hydrographic surveys of both the Port of Alaska and its corresponding shipping channel in Anchorage on Nov. 30. The urgent need arose from concerns about possible shoaling that could block access. By the next morning, the collected data was available to ensure the safe passage of vessels in the vicinity.

“It was extremely important to identify potential navigation hazards to keep vessel traffic and port operations running smoothly in the hours after the earthquake,” said Julie Anderson, chief of the district’s Operations Branch.

Meanwhile, at the request of the Air Force’s 673rd Civil Engineer Squadron, the organization assigned a structural assessment team to assist with the inspection of critical facilities for earthquake damage at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Augmentees from USACE’s Honolulu District and 71st Forward Engineer Support Team-Advance at the Baltimore District participated in the effort as well.

“We needed to make sure the structures were still safe to occupy and use,” said Brian Trzaska, team leader and chief of the Design Branch for the Engineering, Construction, and Operations Division.

Armed with the Applied Technology Council’s post-earthquake safety evaluation checklist, the group split into two-person teams to examine on-base facilities for structural hazards. Following each assessment, members posted color-coded placards with the status determination for each building. Categories included green (safe to occupy), yellow (restricted use because of damage), and red (unsafe to occupy because of serious damage). Representatives investigated 443 facilities between Dec. 4 and Jan. 29. None of the USACEinspected structures received a red rating.

“We identified some damage – both cosmetic and minor structural,” Trzaska said. “In turn, we provided the inspection reports to the Air Force for review and evaluation.”

He credits sound engineering and construction practices for the minimal impacts to buildings on the installation.

“It’s a testament to how well built the facilities are,” Trzaska said. “They were designed and constructed to withstand seismic activity in an arctic environment – not an easy task. But after being put to the test, they came away relatively unscathed. It validates the expertise of our government engineers and capabilities of our industry partners.”

According to Valerie Palmer, chief of the district’s Military Project Management Branch, officials for the 673rd Civil Engineer Squadron followed up, seeking the agency’s help to repair and reinforce key facilities that sustained damage during the earthquake. The organization awarded contracts for three earthquake repair projects in fiscal year 2019 and has seven in development for fiscal year 2020.

“It’s a positive reflection of the strong partnership we have with the Air Force,” she said.

In March, the district assembled a team of 15 rehired annuitants to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency with conducting inspections of private dwellings and public facilities that may be eligible for federal disaster assistance. The mission endded in September.

The Alaska District officially completed the majority of its response and recovery missions for the Cook Inlet earthquake on Feb. 1. The team gained valuable, real-world experience during this period. In particular, the incident tested the abilities of the organization’s senior leaders and staff to quickly collect information, assess the situation, and make critical decisions during the initial minutes and hours after the seismic activity occurred.

“Our training prepared us for a worst-case scenario, but impacts to the ‘Anchorage bowl’ were not as bad as expected,” Deaton said. “The big takeaway is to continue to fine tune our plan and exercise the team annually to maintain awareness and understanding.”

Building on its successful actions in the wake of the Cook Inlet earthquake, the Alaska District remains vigilant in providing response and recovery assistance for any natural or man-made disaster within the Pacific Region.