The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of the Worst Tsunami in U.S. History

Author Dennis Powers addressed the awed Crescent City Council and standing room only audience, last Monday. Commemorating the “ Monster Tsunami which he chronicled in his book, Powers thanked the audience and Council for the opportunity to first write, then speak about his non-fiction book, The Raging Sea, the worst tsunami in U.S. History. The flood destroyed Crescent City 60 years ago. “ The big one, the monster (fourth wave) hit Crescent City at jet speed 1:45am (Saturday, March 28). It came in at Endert’s Beach 23’ high, went 2.5 miles up the Elk Creek,” recounts Powers.

Loss of life was profound. 11 perished, hundreds injured, the destruction was unimaginable. Debris was tossed about like tinker toys and rag dolls. Houses, cars, refrigerators, even horses and dogs and yes, human beings, were tossed about downtown. Over a thousand cars were destroyed or damaged by the Good Friday Flood. Powers wrote the masterpiece three decades back.

Powers chronicled the events that followed the 9.2 Alaska Earthquake, March 27. “ Travelling hundreds of miles per hour, the first of four waves slammed into Crescent City, late Friday-early Saturday morning, (just prior to Easter week-end, March 27-28). In all, 33 blocks in downtown were leveled.” The devastation along the British Columbia, Washington and Oregon coast was profound but not to compare with the damage incurred in Crescent City.

Then-Governor Pat Brown, who was in Eureka at time of the Tsunami declared Crescent City an Emergency disaster. President Lyndon Johnson followed with similar Federal declaration. Help came expediently.

Powers marveled how local Del Norters responded in heroic fashion. “ 200 men and women showed up by daybreak with tools, tractors, and their hands to begin the cleanup. That was the community spirit,” added Powers.

Many in the audience who as children or young adults personally experienced this event, six decades back, sat transfixed to Powers’ PowerPoint presentation.

Powers concluded his ½ hour presentation by referencing the perilous Cascadia Subduction Zone within the Ring of Fire, 75 miles west of Crescent City. Powers shared tsunami expert opinion chances of an impending Cascadia earthquake prompting a devastating Tsunami event are about 30-40 percent within the next 50 years.

The City and Crescent City Harbor acknowledged several events this past week-end with the Tsunami Resiliency Festival commemorating the anniversary of the Good Friday Tsunami, March 27-28, 1964.