Campus Alert Archive
UAA

Magnitude 7.1 at 8:29 a.m.: Broken Pipes, Flooded Arenas, and Five Days of Closure as Alaska's Largest University Weathers Its Biggest Quake

AKearthquakeemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck approximately 8 miles north of Anchorage at 8:29 a.m. AKST on November 30, 2018, causing significant damage across the UAA campus. The Alaska Airlines Center flooded from broken fire sprinkler pipes, and the Wells Fargo Sports Complex sustained similar damage. UAA closed campus for five days during finals week, reopening on December 5 thanks to rapid cleanup efforts by facilities teams, alumni, and community volunteers.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Alaska Anchorage
Public Masters · AK
~13,000 studentsUA Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction245 chars
UA Alert: A major earthquake has struck the Anchorage area. The UAA campus is closed effective immediately. Do not come to campus. All classes, events, and activities are canceled until further notice. Check uaa.alaska.edu/emergency for updates.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from UAA news archives and Alaska Public Media reporting; exact wording not confirmed
UAA officials noted that power and internet were restored relatively quickly, allowing notices to be sent out promptly
The closure came during the last week of fall classes, with finals scheduled for the following week
The earthquake epicenter was near Point Mackenzie, about 10 miles north of Anchorage, at a depth of 29 miles
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstruction323 chars
UA Alert Update: UAA campus remains closed. Facilities teams are assessing damage and working to restore fire suppression systems and heating in residence halls. Student housing remains open with limited services. Essential employees report as assigned. Continue to check uaa.alaska.edu/emergency for reopening information.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from UAA one-year retrospective article and Alaska Public Media coverage
Main priorities were getting fire suppression back online and restoring heat to student residence halls
Several dorms had lost heat, making housing a top priority for the incident response team
Residence halls remained open throughout the closure to shelter students who could not leave campus
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction219 chars
UA Alert: UAA campus will reopen on Wednesday, December 5. Classes and final exams will resume on a modified schedule. Some facilities remain closed for repairs. Check with your department for specific schedule changes.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from UAA news archives
UAA reopened after only five days, which university officials credited to rapid coordination by facilities staff, management, alumni, and community members
Fall commencement was held as scheduled, just a few weeks after the earthquake
Some facilities, particularly athletic venues, required longer-term repairs
Context

Background

The November 30, 2018, magnitude 7.1 earthquake was the largest seismic event to affect Anchorage in decades. The quake struck at 8:29 a.m. AKST with its epicenter near Point Mackenzie, about 10 miles north of the city, at a depth of approximately 29 miles. Across Anchorage, roads cracked, buildings shook, and infrastructure was damaged. On the UAA campus, the Alaska Airlines Center, a major sports and events facility, flooded when fire sprinkler pipes broke. The older Wells Fargo Sports Complex sustained similar water damage. The campus closure came at one of the worst possible times in the academic calendar, with finals week approaching and fall commencement scheduled within weeks. UAA's incident response team quickly prioritized restoring fire suppression systems and heating in student residence halls, several of which had lost heat. Despite the timing, UAA managed to reopen after just five days, a testament to the coordinated response. The earthquake also caused widespread damage across the Anchorage road network, complicating commutes for the largely commuter-student population.
Analysis

Key Findings

UAA's five-day closure during finals week required rapid damage assessment and creative rescheduling of exams and commencement
Fire suppression and heating restoration in residence halls were the top operational priorities, reflecting UAA's obligation to students who could not leave campus
The largely commuter campus faced additional challenges as road damage across Anchorage disrupted transportation
UAA power and internet were restored relatively quickly, allowing emergency notifications to go out promptly despite the scale of the earthquake
Outcome
No fatalities or serious injuries reported at UAA. Significant structural and water damage to athletic facilities. Campus closed for five days. Fall commencement and final exams were rescheduled. UAA reopened December 5, 2018.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    One year later: Looking back at the Nov. 30 earthquake (University of Alaska Anchorage)
    uaa.alaska.edu
  2. Official
    One year later: Looking back at the Nov. 30 earthquake (UA News Center)
    alaska.edu
  3. News
    After Friday's quake, UAA classes resume in under a week (Alaska Public Media)
    alaskapublic.org
  4. Source
    2018 Anchorage earthquake (Wikipedia)
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
earthquakenatural-disastercampus-closurealaskainfrastructure-damagefinals-weekresidence-hallscommuter-campusmagnitude-7
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion