Ever wonder what some folks do with the common-sense God gave them? With shockwaves still coming from last week’s earthquake, rubberneckers in Alaska should know better—yet authorities there had to urge the selfie-taking public to stay away from a dangerous roadway.
The November 30 earthquake near the city of Anchorage damaged homes and structures, cracked roadways, and collapsed highway ramps. Thankfully, no catastrophic damage, injuries, or deaths have been reported.
“It looks sort of like shattered pieces of glass, if you will, from above, which makes a very fascinating visual. But it is also unsafe to be there,” says Alaska State Trooper spokesperson Jonathon Taylor.
Photos posted on social media show people climbing into large cracks on a badly buckled road in Wasilla, Alaska. Signs and barricades were set up to keep people away from the site—where the ground liquefied from the force of the 7.0 magnitude quake.
More than 2,100 aftershocks have occurred since the first earthquake—including a 5.7 shaker that arrived within minutes. Experts say most aftershocks are too small to feel.
The other part of the story—the part that has folks around the United States wondering what’s up with their local road crews—is that now the road is already fixed! Repair crews using heavy equipment started construction immediately. By Tuesday, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities had removed the jagged asphalt pieces, filled the hole, repaved the road, and painted fresh lines. Whoa.
Other repairs aren’t happening as quickly. Schools in Anchorage will remain closed until December 10. One elementary school in the Eagle River suburb has been deemed unsafe to occupy. It will remain closed for the rest of the school year, says a school district spokesperson.
One shelter in Anchorage remains open for those still displaced by the quake.
(Aerial photo shows earthquake damage on Vine Road, south of Wasilla, Alaska. AP Photo)
