[Elecraft] NVIS HF vs VHF line-of-sight & CB in 9.0 quakes

[Edward R Cole]

I'll probably get flamed with this comment (oh what the heck):

How many of you theorizing about a 9.0 Richter earthquake have 
actually experience one!  I not talking about 5 pr 6 or 7 ....an actual 9+????

Why don't you ask an Alaskan Ham?  In 1964 south central Alaska 
experienced a 9.2 (2nd largest ever measured in history).  I was not 
up here then, but I know several people (some are hams) who lived 
thru that.  Plenty of documents with photos of the destruction.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Alaska_earthquake

But not every telephone pole and tower failed.  Yes, all phone 
connection with lower-48 was interrupted for a long time.  Military 
lost all their comms.  Only one's able to provide communication to 
outside the state were hams!  That's right.  All documented.  Power 
and phones were impacted (there was no cell back then).  Undersea 
cables broke.  The single railroad line from Anchorage to Seward on 
the Kenai Peninsula was twisted and not repaired for something like 
6-mos, single highway south of Anchorage was also damaged for a long 
period.  Homes slid into the inlet, ships were sunk and shoreline 
destroyed by the tsunami which reached Oregon and California shores 
and Hawaii 3,000 miles south.  Seward and Valdez essentially suffered 
near total destruction.

But not everything was destroyed and not everyone without utilities.

Of course a significant factor is depth of the epicenter, longitudal 
distance from you and what geologic structures the waves travel thru.

I moved to the small town of Hope (AK) when I moved here in 1979.  I 
heard from locals how the land rippled with 30-foot high waves (I 
suspect maybe not that high but certainly terrifying).  Most of the 
original townsite which lay near the shore of Turnagain Arm sunk 
16-foot and the next high tide produced 6-foot of water above the 
ground level flooding every building.  Most are gone now.  Town has 
relocated further away from the shore.

Your skills setting up a temporary station with new antennas, 
equipment relocated, emergency power and fuel for that (gas stations 
will not be able to pump without power or may have cracked 
tanks).  Your personal shelter, food, water, and sanitary facilities 
may be all impacted.  If you are lucky some part of your home station 
may work.  Possibly only the mobile station in your vehicle.

I've been thru a few earthquakes in CA (1971 Sylmar 6mi from my apt) 
and AK.  But few really have that large effect that is being 
discussed, here.  I was here for the 7.9 quake centered in the Alaska 
Range (I'm about 300 miles south of where its epicenter was 
located.  Fortunately it mostly affected uninhabited areas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Denali_earthquake
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/01/24/magnitude-7-1-earthquake-strikes-alaska.html 
I am 8 miles north of the homes that were destroyed last year.

But doubtful that you will have beach property in Boise.

73, Ed - KL7UW
   http://www.kl7uw.com
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