Alaska Earthquake Hits Close to Home For Santa Maria Man

A 6.2 earthquake shook a large area of Aaska this morning, including the state’s biggest city, Anchorage.

KCOY-12 Central Coast News spoke exclusively with a Santa Maria man whose wife was there when the quake hit.

Ken Albertson was painting his house this morning when he received an unexpected call.

“She says ‘don’t be upset, don’t panic, we’re ok’,” said Albertson. “I say ‘ok what happened?’ She says ‘well we just had a big time earthquake'”.

It was his wife Deanna, who was visiting Anchorage, Alaska with a friend.

The phone call was short, and Ken was worried.

“She says ‘there’s people running all over the place down here, it’s a total madhouse,” Ken remember of the phone call. “I was a little bit nervous, still on edge, still worrying, still wondering, still watching all the news channels I can find.”

The 6.2 magnitude quake interrupted a press conference for U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan and shook Anchorage pretty good, but no severe damage has been reported.

Ken was able to make contact with his wife again, the first time he’d spoken to her since the frightening call earlier in the morning.

Deanna Albertson described the powerful quake.

“There was this big boom,” said Deanna, over the phone. “That’s what scared the life out of me. I have never been in an earthquake with a big boom like that.”

After sharing a few laughs with his wife over the phone, Ken says he’s glad things are ok.

“Chug along and talk to the man upstairs and let him control everything. As long as he has control of everything, no one else is more powerful than he is.”