December 1, 2018
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Alaska, approximately 10 miles northeast of Anchorage, at 8:30 a.m. on November 30. While damage is being assessed, strong aftershocks continued throughout the day and into the night.
Network
Verizon’s network performed well during and following the earthquake. As they are designed to do, backup generators and batteries kept our cell sites running when commercial power was temporarily lost. However, in a few areas Verizon customers may have experienced brief service interruptions due to connectivity issues related to fiber backhaul transport. There was no damage to our local mobile telecommunications switching office (the switch), a hardened facility designed to withstand extreme weather and other natural disasters.
As access permits, our engineers are inspecting all Verizon facilities and closely monitoring network performance. We also have temporary equipment staged and ready to deploy as needed. Our network team is working 24×7 to keep everyone connected.
Commercial power was restored to the area last night; however, some road, building and school closures are expected to continue as public works agencies complete inspections and repair work begins.
The Verizon Response Team (VRT) is working closely with the Alaska Office of Emergency Management, American Red Cross and other public safety organizations to provide communications equipment and service as needed to support crisis response, recovery and relief efforts.
Customers
For our customers impacted by the earthquake, Verizon is providing free calling, texting and data to its postpaid and prepaid customers through December 7. We’ve got your back Alaska!
Community
To support the American Red Cross, text the word REDCROSS to 90999 and $10 will be added to your Verizon Wireless bill upon confirmation with your billing zip code.
Check here for updates on Verizon network performance, crisis response and community support following the 11/30/2018 Alaska earthquake.
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