After the 2018 magnitude 7.1 earthquake, I reviewed the 1964 magnitude 9.2 quake. One striking photo was the intact house that slid down the Turnagain bluff.
Bringing in memories of the 2002 7.9 quake, I realized that most damage in Alaska is not from shaking, but from the underlying ground physically relocating under the structures, including roads.
Friends who had no significant damage to house or adjoining garage were forced to replace the garage because it moved several inches away from the house, opening an interior structural wall to the elements.
A new quake measuring net in Anchorage after the 2018 event showed that underlying ground response varied across Anchorage, even in areas only several blocks apart.
Instead of instituting new codes for Anchorage and raising costs for everyone, a better action would be to determine the underlying bedrock for each new construction and to tailor the code requirements as necessary.
— Edward Leach
Anchorage
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