Articles by Mark Thiessen

Associated Press

Earthquakes Under a Volcano Near Alaska’s Largest City Raise Concerns

An increase in the number of earthquakes under a volcano near Alaska’s largest city this year has geologists paying attention. Mount Spurr, about 80 miles northwest of Anchorage, last erupted in 1992, spewing an ash cloud nearly 12 miles into …

Quake Prompted Tsunami Warning West Coast. Here’s What to Know About Tsunamis

The powerful earthquake that struck in Northern California on Thursday prompted a brief tsunami warning affecting about 5 million people along a stretch of the West Coast — from Northern California to Oregon — before being canceled. Here are some …

Western Alaska Yup’ik Village Floods as River Rises From a Series of Storms

Storm-battered residents in the western Alaska village of Napakiak were preparing for the third storm in a week Tuesday, days after a minister had to use a front loader to free people from flooded homes. Napakiak, a Yup’ik village of …

Jury Awards $700k to Seattle Protesters Jailed for Anti-Police Slogans on Barricade

Four protesters who were jailed for writing anti-police graffiti in chalk on a temporary barricade near a Seattle police precinct have been awarded nearly $700,000 after a federal court jury decided their civil rights were violated. The Jan. 1, 2021, …

Hawaii Fire Shows Wildfires Pose Particular Threat to Elderly and Other Vulnerable Individuals

Sharlene Rabang and her calico cat fled the wildfire that destroyed her town on Maui and arrived at a family home on another Hawaii island after a 24-hour odyssey that included sleeping in a car. Dazed, coughing and weak, the …

Bursting Ice Dam in Alaska Highlights Risks of Glacial Flooding

The gray, two-story home with white trim toppled and slid, crashing into the river below as rushing waters carried off a bobbing chunk of its roof. Next door, a condo building teetered on the edge of the bank, its foundation …

Man Sues Alaska Troopers, Says His Job Offer Yanked After HIV Status Revealed

A Salt Lake City man who says his job offer to become an Alaska State Trooper was rescinded after he disclosed he was HIV positive filed a lawsuit in state court Thursday to get his position on the statewide police …

Hawaii’s Active Kilauea Begins Erupting After 3-Month Pause

Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, began erupting on Wednesday after a three-month pause, displaying spectacular fountains of mesmerizing, glowing lava that’s a safe distance from people and structures in a national park on the Big …

Wildfires in Alaska? Climate Change Sparks Disaster Fears

Research on a flat spot for air evacuations. Talk of old-style civil defense sirens to warn of fast-moving wildfires. Hundreds of urban firefighters training in wildland firefighting techniques while snow still blankets the ground. This is the new reality in …

Swarm of Quakes at Alaska Volcano Could Mean Eruption Coming

A swarm of earthquakes occurring over the past few weeks has intensified at a remote Alaska volcano dormant for over a century, a possible indication of an impending eruption. The Alaska Volcano Observatory raised the alert level to advisory status …