VOLCANOES, EARTHQUAKES, TSUNAMIS AND WAR Kodiak is no stranger to dramatic shifts in the landscape. In 1912 the people of Kodiak experienced the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century when Mt. Novarupta erupted on the Alaskan Peninsula. Nearly two feet of ash fell on Kodiak and its 500 residents. The “white sand” you see at many Kodiak beaches is volcanic ash laid down by this eruption. Kodiak’s landscape changed once again when it became a major staging area for North Pacific operations during World War II. Bunkers and gun emplacements were built at Chiniak, Long Island and Ft. Abercrombie. Many of these structures are visible from the road and on trails throughout the island. Even a world war and the volcanic eruption was no match for the devastation that resulted from the largest earthquake in North American history. In 1964, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Alaska. It triggered a series of tsunamis that devastated downtown Kodiak. Fishing boats vessels were tossed into the streets, buildings destroyed and people displaced. The Army Corps of Engineers redesigned downtown into what you see today. KODIAK.ORG | 27 Photos by Shane Parker
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