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Alaska asks for earthquake disaster aid
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) -- Gov. Tony Knowles has asked President George W. Bush to declare the interior of Alaska a federal disaster area following Sunday's earthquake, he said on Wednesday. "I'm hoping it's a matter of hours, not days," Knowles said, adding that federal emergency teams were evaluating Alaska's earthquake damage. Alaska sustained much less damage from the 7.9 magnitude earthquake than would have resulted in most parts of the world, Knowles said at a news conference. The only serious injury was a broken arm suffered by one elderly woman. The earthquake cracked asphalt, dislodged homes from their foundations and caused other problems, Knowles said. Damage to roads and bridges alone is estimated to be at least $25 million. A state disaster declaration by the governor will free up funds for emergency assistance to people in the affected region, pending legislative approval, he said. The earthquake also prompted a shutdown of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline after vertical supports suffered some damage. Oil began moving through the pipeline early on Wednesday after it was checked for safety and crews made temporary repairs. The most pressing problems in the earthquake's aftermath are the need to clear roadways and a scarcity in some areas of clean water, said Maj. Gen. Phil Oates of the Alaska National Guard. Alaska is seismically active, but Sunday's earthquake was one of the strongest in recent history. It was tied among the nine strongest to ever hit the United States, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The tremor was centered about 90 miles (145 km) south of Fairbanks. Its most serious effects were on small towns and villages southeast of that city. Copyright 2002 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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