"Communities, Disaster & Change" is a traveling exhibition coordinated by the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive, in Valdez, Alaska. It provides a twist on the fiftieth anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake commemoration through its connection with other communities and other disasters. The exhibit will travel around the state as well as to Oregon, and Hawaii. The full travel schedule and complete online gallery of the exhibit can be seen here.

This blog serves as a place to host a global conversation about the indomitable nature of the human spirit and communities' reactions to change, how they survive disaster and how they rebuild for the future. We hope this can be a tool for people like you, all across the world, to reach out and share your stories on survival and the will to carry on.

If you have seen the exhibit whether online or in person we want to know your reaction to the work of these twenty-eight Alaskan artists. Please join us in an ongoing conversation, and chime in with your thoughts, views and your personal stories of your community, disaster, and change.

08 September 2014

Icelandic Volcano Erupts!

 By: Laura Johnston    Monday, September 08, 2014     1 comment


Watch volcano Bardarbunga spew hot lava! This volcano in Iceland has been erupting since August 31, 2014. Thousands of earthquakes proceeded this enormous eruption. These images of Bardarbunga produce quite the visual contrast of red hot lava against the cool mountain Icelandic landscape. These communities are well versed in practicing emergency procedures so few deaths occur from situations like these. Which brings to mind the question.....

Should we as Alaskans be practicing emergency procedures regularly? This brings to mind several natural catastrophies I have faced as an Alaskan.
Eight years ago I lived in Girdwood which is approximately 35 miles south of Anchorage, Alaska. A dreadful winter commute from Girdwood to Anchorage via the Turnagain Highway awaited me every morning. This is a narrow, two lane roadway sandwiched between steep, rocky cliffs and a guard rail designed to protect drivers from the frozen waters in Cook Inlet. A driver relies only on his/her headlights as there is no highway lighting. There are however the usual hazards....avalanches, rock slides, icy roads, and oncoming traffic. One morning, an avalanche slid across the road as I was driving. I quickly slammed on the brakes and turned around driving the opposite direction as fast as I could to avoid getting crushed. Another time rocks tumbled down and dented the roof of my car. If I had been a second earlier the rocks would have destroyed my windshield while I was driving 50mph. In the spring of 2009, a rock slide closed off the small harbor town of Whittier restricting access to Prince William Sound's waterway, leaving many Alaskan stranded. This is a link to an article. http://www.adn.com/article/20090412/huge-rock-slide-closes-whittier-tunnel

Of course, there was the dramatic events surrounding the 2014 “Damnalanche.” This avalanche closed off road access to Valdez for two weeks. Travel by air and sea were the only ways in or out of town. The snow slide damned the Lowe river which in turn flooded the Richardson Highway. There was some concern as to when and how the lake would release and downstream residents were on an evacuation alert. Barges shipped in food and other necessities until the city was able to clear the road. Locals said they had never seen such fresh vegetables in Valdez. On average it takes a week or more for food trucks to reach Valdez yielding "not so fresh" fruits and veggies. There were no casualties during this natural disaster.


Do you think we need more disaster preparedness in our community?
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