Portage and Whittier, Alaska: Chaos and Destruction in the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake

he lively little community of Portage was destroyed by the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake, which was centered around 50 miles from Portage Valley. The quake lasted 2 minutes and 56 seconds, and was immediately followed by 10 massive aftershocks and 53 other earthquakes. (The towns of Whittier, Valdez, and Chenega, as well as Hope and Anchorage, were also devastated by the quake.) Portage's 71 local residents endured 100-foot high mud and water spouts, and watched as the land slumped down 8 feet. A month after the quake, Turnagain Arm's incoming tides dealt the final blow by rushing into the now-lowlands, burying buildings with silt, and what was left of Portage was completely abandoned.