The Great Alaska Earthquake 2018

I remember going to the Pratt Museum in Homer, Alaska.  In the museum, there was a whole exhibit on the 1969 earthquake.  The exhibit contained several first hand accounts from students about where they were, what they felt, what happened on that day.  When the ground started shaking on Friday, November 30, 2018, and as the aftermath unfurled, I knew how important those first hand accounts would be to future generations who had never experienced an earthquake of this magnitude.  Aftershocks have continued to take place days and weeks after.  Our school had 1/3 of its ceiling tiles destroyed which caused Colony Middle School to be out almost the whole month of December (we returned to school for three days before winter break).  

I was in my classroom that morning trying to recreate a picture my brother had taken in his classroom.

As you can see, the picture didn't turn out for me . . . .  The room started shaking, and I really didn't know what was happening at all.  The earthquake struck around 8:30 AM, and lasted for one minute. I do not have a first period class, so I was in my room alone (I think it would have been better to have students--they could have helped their TX teacher).  I stood in the middle of the room thinking what in the world in going on.  I finally realized it wasn't the safest to just stand there, so I headed to the doorway (which now I know isn't the best idea).  I stood with death grips on the door frame, holding on for dear life.  The lamp in my office crashed to the floor, the bulb breaking, and books were falling off the shelves.  During the shaking, we lost electricity.  It finally subsided, and I ran to my desk to get my phone for flashlight purposes--the sun had not risen yet, so it was dark.  Mr. Parson was in the hallway going from room to room, and to let them know to get out.  I asked if I should head upstairs, and he said yes.  The stairwell doors were shut, and when I opened them it was a cloud of dust, darkness and dust.  I ran up the stairs (shaking--not the earthquake at this point, just my nerves).  I told the first class, that they need to leave, and they said they had heard differently on the walkie talkies.  I then ran back downstairs and asked the office--they said we were evacuating, so back up the stairs I went.  We got all of the students outside.  Some students were crying, some laughing, some in shock, some being their normal tough Alaskan selves.  They were hugging each other, and towels were being handed out to combat the cold.  My first priority was finding Kayden.  I knew she did not bring her jacket that day, so I gave her mine.  She was good, and was sticking close to one of her friends.  We finally were able to come back into the building--just the gym.  It was chaotic, especially with no electricity, but eventually all students had contacted their parents, and everyone headed home.  Josh came and got Kayden because I had to stay until all the students were gone.  Teachers had to go room by room to make sure no one was in the building.  It was a little scary and eery.

Karston had stayed home with a stomach ache.  Josh was asleep when I left, so I hadn't told him that Karston was home.  When the earthquake struck, Josh ran out of the house to the front yard.  Travis, his fellow Geico employee, pulled in just as Josh was running out.  When the quake stopped, Karston emerged from the house carrying Chica.  Nothing fell in his room, but he did figure that this was an earthquake, an "extreme" one.

Cameron was in guitar class at Colony High School.  They did not end up evacuating, but they did let the students go home early.  Cami drove home.

Dixie escaped from the house when the earthquake happened, and was found four hours later.  I think she was running here there and everywhere for all of that time. . . .

The aftershocks truly bring back the feeling of the quake.  We slept upstairs for the first two weeks after the 7.0.  We are finally getting back into a routine now.  The aftershocks have started to slow, but yes, I'm a little afraid to say that out loud.