Tsunami warning prompts corps to open shelter
The Salvation Army Corps in Klawock and Hoonah scrambled to set up emergency shelters after a magnitude 7.9 quake triggered evacuations throughout Alaska coastal communities.
According to media reports, the modest shaker was felt from Unalaska to Fairbanks through parts of Canada and into Washington state. According to the tsunami warning center, there were dozens of aftershocks that reached as high as a magnitude 5.2.
Klawock Salvation Army officer, Lieutenant Faith Harrt, said they opened their shelter around 1 a.m. “We are up on the hill in the evacuation zone so we opened up to the public.”
Lt. Harrt said that roughly 36 people from the community took refuge at the Salvation Army’s Klawock Corps building. “We had hot drinks, coffee, tea and snacks available.” According to Lt. Harrt the corps parking lot also became a safe spot for evacuation.
Residents in Klawock were alerted to possible tsunami danger through phone alerts and the community’s emergency sirens. Hoonah Salvation Army officer, Major Tina Bottjen, said her wake-up call about a possible tsunami was just that, a wake-up call.
“We don’t have any sirens. I found out from my husband who was in Juneau.” said Maj. Bottjen.
Bottjen said she opened their shelter around 1 a.m. but did not have any residents that needed shelter. “There were quite a few people that did not know there was a warning.” said Bottjen. According to Bottjen she kept in contact with her husband and used Facebook and other social media to track what was happening.
Bottjen said she was not sure what the plan is in Hoonah or if the community has an evacuation zone or plan. “I know we are high up on the hill but I do not know if we are in an evacuation zone.” Bottjen stressed, that might be something to look at.
Regardless of what plan the community would like to put together The Salvation Army is ready. According to Bottjen the Hoonah location stayed open until 4 a.m. “Just in case,” said Bottjen. “I didn’t want to close the doors and have someone show up that needed us.”
Kodiak Salvation Army officer Lola Davis said their response was a little different than that of Hoonah and Klawock. We were evacuated from our corps said Maj. Davis. “We were told to go to higher ground and were not allowed at the corps.”
Davis said that they headed to the grocery store and began looking for members of their congregation to make sure they were all safe. Maj. Davis said they found almost all their members, and the few they could not locate have since been located and everyone is fine.
According to media reports the highest wave measured about 8 1/2 inches above tide level at Old Harbor on Kodiak Island. By 4 a.m. all advisories and warnings were canceled. There were no reports of serious damage or injuries.