As bad as the earthquake was, it could have been worse. A total of 115 Alaskans died, and 4,500 were left homeless throughout the state. Another 16 people drowned in tsunamis along the Oregon and California coasts. But the fact that the quake struck on a holiday, and at an hour when many were at home, no doubt eased the death toll. Crowded schools and downtown areas, particularly in Anchorage, might have resulted in many more deaths.
