Alaska shooters

[gws]

Anyone heard from the alaska guys? 7.0 earthquake will shake things up.

[mdeland]

That was the strongest and longest jolt I've felt in the almost 50 years I've lived here. I heard it before feeling it which seemed strange to me.
I had just woke up and was laying in bed thinking about the glass job I had scheduled for today and then I heard this roar which sounded like a train coming down the street. Then the house began to shake a bit but it just got more and more violent until the book cases were rocking and slamming into the back of the bed frame.
I got to my feet the best I could dodging all the stuff coming off the wall, out of cupboards and down from shelves and headed for the kitchen calling out to family members still asleep. Lasted only about 30 seconds to a minute but it seemed much longer with the back and forth shaking and the roar of the ground movement.
My wife went through the Good Friday 64 Quake that was 9.2 (strongest ever recorded in North America) and she said it was the strongest she has felt since then as well and we've had some pretty good ones over the years.
Didn't loose any gun stuff or glass which was all secured but had lots of shelf stuff to pick up off the floor.
No gas or water lines broke in our house so was very blessed in that respect. Power came back on about 1.5 hours later and all seems pretty well back to normal.
One downer is that our scheduled clang and bang match for tomorrow is cancelled.
We've been feeling after shocks all day long where the ground moves laterally just enough to make you feel like your a bit dizzy on your feet. The Earth quake folks tell us that there is a 1 in 5-10 chance that the 7.0 this morning centered about seven miles out of Anchorage and approximately 25-40 miles deep , may be the initial quake before the big one hits within 30 days. Hope they're wrong!

[mdeland]

The seismologists explained that today's quake was not on the sub-duction zone, edge of the continental plate but out into mass of it and this could either be a release of pressure or the build up signal of it on the fault line of the plates. Apparently is where the really big one's come from. They use terms I'm not familiar with so it's kind of hard to relay what their talking about.

[mdeland]

Good to hear from you George. I just had to tell you that I've fallen so in Love with that 357 Max cartridge on the Martini Cadet that it is about all I use any more for the monthly clang and bang matches. It will dump the sheep at 200 meters with no trouble shooting the 195 grain Lyman round nose at 1600 fps. Low recoil, flat trajectory , easy to load and cheap on components but then I don't need to tell you that.
There talking about shooting the match year round now it has become so popular up here. Still, no one has shot a 40 yet but pretty close with a 38 and 39.
I made one on a low wall last year for a friend and he got to use it just a few matches before dying last spring which was a bummer but what a gun it is! I would like to buy it back from his son who inherited it and I don't think ever shoots .

[Woody]

Good to hear that you rode it out without any major damage.

Woody

[mdeland]

Thanks Woody, were still kind of nervous as we've been feeling good sized after shocks all day long. Our suspicions were right about the strength of the quake we felt this morning as the news announced tonight it was the strongest one in Alaska since the 64 jolt.
I can't imagine what we experienced today going on for 4.5 minutes at 9.2 instead of 7. My wife was 8 years old and says she can remember it vividly.

[Woody]

I was living in TN in 64. We didn't feel it, but mom and grandma both had cakes in the oven, and both fell. Mom always said it was the only cake she ever lost.

Woody

[John Bly]

I heard from Leo Remiger. One cracked window but no other apparent damage. He said he has learned not to stack anything higher than it can withstand a fall.

[Lumpy Grits]

Glad to hear our AK members checking in.
Please keep us updated.
Gary

[mdeland]

I opened my gun safe last night and aside from all the long guns leaning off to the south and piled together I couldn't detect any damage. Imagine there are some assorted scratches and scuffs but nothing major. I straightened them up and borrowed a big pillow from my wife to put near the top then closed the safe door and wedged them in there back nests against it.
Box of lubed .45 revolver bullets came off the shop shelf , busted the box and went all over the shop floor and that was about it out there.
I told my wife last night we ought to tear down our house and put up a nice Yurt then we would be good for the quake issue in this country.

[Lumpy Grits]

Is the safe bolted to the floor?
How are the roads near you? Can you get food and fuel??
Gary

[mdeland]

No, it's not and might be a good idea but since I moved it I've never bolted it down again. Actually I think it probably disturbed the guns less inside being able to rock back and forth. The quake movement was horizontal like a gold rocker instead of vertical (up and down) like a bumpy road.
Most stores here in Anchorage were up and running in a few hours once the got stuff back on the shelves. Were seeing lots of crack in road beds, railroad beds and bridges but most of the roads are open.
I went and topped off all our vehicles as the gas lines were getting long. Most stations had pumps operating but the store sections were closed.
We always keep a good reserve of basics (food and water) on hand along with our 7000 watt emergency generator for just such occurrences.
Need to get up to willow and check the cabin as well. Hope it's still standing. When we get the all clear for the road situation we will have to make a run up there.

[Lumpy Grits]

TY-Please keep us updated.
Can the fuel trucks get to the gas stations?
G.

[mdeland]

I don't know about the gas truck situation as I think they closed the port where the fuel farm is in Anchorage. It may be open today but haven't heard.

[mdeland]

My wife who has been on line almost constantly said that Fred Meyers and other grocery stores are giving out free milk and meat as it will spoil before they can get there refrigeration up and running. She said there has been a big run on the grocery stores which only keep a three day supply of stock on hand. Guess the national guard is being mobilized to keep order but haven't heard of any looting.
Drivers out on the road seemed extra courteous when I was out and about yesterday although when I gassed up last night traffic was noticeably light. We're being told to stay off the roads as much as possible unless dire need arises.