Friday, March 27, 1964, a massive earthquake triggered a natural disaster that would change Seldovia, on the southern shore of Kachemak Bay, forever.

The Good Friday Earthquake, 9.2 on the Moment Magnitude Scale, was the strongest ever recorded in North America. The epicenter was in Valdez, less than 200 miles east of Kachemak Bay. The King Kong of tectonics, it lifted and dropped land and triggered giant ocean waves that hit as far away as Hawaii, Japan, and Antarctica. Roads buckled, waterfronts toppled, houses flopped. Worldwide, 115 people lost their lives.

Although no lives were lost in Seldovia, land sank five feet, rearranging the face and economy of Kachemak Bay's largest south shore town forever. High tides flooded the town's trademark boardwalk. Since 1910, this artery of canneries, shops, and houses lined the sea front. Awash, businesses drilled holes in their floors to drain seawater. Sandbags, hip boots, and moves to second stories were only stopgaps against the reality of high tides and constant floods. Nearly 80% of Seldovia's commercial and industrial activities were threatened. Months later, winter storms joined high tides to pound the waterfront. The town had to be rebuilt.