Earthquake 2018

October 14th 2020
By: Bert Kelila

Friday, November 30, 2018, was just like any other ordinary day. I woke up, let the dogs out, got ready for work, and drove my morning commute, Palmer to Anchorage.

I arrived at the intersection of Benson Boulevard and New Seward at 8:27 AM. While waiting for the light to turn green my car started to shake. Slowly, then more violently. At first, my thought was that something was wrong with my engine. As I observed, I noticed other vehicles that were stopped and experiencing the same thing. This was my first major earthquake. Others that I have experienced were not as intense or as long.

After the shaking stopped, I parked at my job. Thinking that the building might have collapsed or that there was a possibility of it collapsing, I parked a bit further away. I had helped my co-workers assess the damage to the building. I worked security and we were making sure that the building was safe to evacuate.

After determining that the building was safe to evacuate, we did so in an orderly fashion, just as we were trained. While working my shift I couldn’t stop thinking of my family, hoping that they were safe during this time.

Please be prepared for any type of emergency. Make sure that you know where to meet up with your family and that you have the necessary supplies just in case the worst happens.

For more information on earthquake safety, please visit https://www.shakeout.org/alaska/.