For the first time, Alaska’s only earthquake simulator is leaving its home in Anchorage and coming to visit Southeast.
From 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, an earthquake simulator called the “Quake Cottage” will be available for Juneau residents to explore downtown, for free. The simulator can create an experience mimicking that of an 8.5 magnitude earthquake.
“There’s even a TV inside that helps with the sounds so that people understand (what a real earthquake is like),” said Michelle Brown with the Juneau Local Emergency Planning Committee.
The cottage, and the experience it provides, is an asset made available by the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management that Brown said people can use to further their disaster preparedness skills. The mobile unit can seat up to four people, giving families the opportunity to prepare together. The Quake Shake will be placed between the State Libraries and Archives Museum and the KTOO building.
“We’re hoping that by providing a fun, exciting event, we can promote action to get families prepared (for disasters),” Brown said. “We don’t always feel motivated to prepare for ourselves, but who depends on you and who are you responsible for? Because if you’re not prepared, you can’t help your family.”
For people waiting their to turn feel the shake, the museum will offer discounts on both days, offering free admittance to any adult who accompanies a child, Brown said. And at 4 p.m., a free demonstration of the “Science on a Sphere” globe in the museum will take place, where viewers can watch a timeline of earthquakes in Alaska.
Inside the KTOO building, there will also be booths with information on disaster preparedness, and fire safety trainings will take place as well with help from Capital City Fire/Rescue. Free hot dogs and drinks will be served out of Juneau’s Disaster Mobile Kitchen that Brown said will also be on display to show residents what the city has on hand in case a disaster strikes and residents need more meals than shelters can provide.
The Quake Cottage is scheduled to visit 10 other Southeast Alaska and Yukon communities this month, beginning with Whitehorse on Aug. 26, then Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell, Ketchikan, Craig, Haines and Haines Junction.
For more information about the event, contact Michelle Brown at 586-0371 or michelle.brown@juneau.org.
