181203-Z-CA180-0061

The Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs hosted U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan in the State Emergency Operations Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to provide an update on earthquake response and recovery efforts, Dec. 3, 2018. A magnitude 7.0 earthquake seven miles from JBER on Nov. 30 caused significant infrastructure damage in a number of areas. DMVA’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management provided the senators with a situation update on significant impacts to the region and the Alaska National Guard shared operations information in the AKNG Joint Operations Center. A contingent, including Murkowski, Sullivan, and key personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, Alaska Department of Transportation and AKNG, departed JBER’s Bryant Army Airfield in two Army Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for a tour of the earthquake zone. They conducted an aerial site survey of ongoing repair operations on bridges and roads before landing at Big Lake Airport. They toured Houston Middle School, viewed major damage on Vine Road, and visited the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Emergency Operations Center. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Balinda O’Neal Dresel)