Alaska Plans Large-Scale Disaster Drill

The state of Alaska is planning a large-scale emergency readiness drill this winter focused on how prepared the state and its residents are for a severe cold weather system.

Kathy Cavyell, the state’s lead exercise planner, said eight communities and more than a dozen state and federal agencies will participate.

She said the state does a major exercise every two years; the focus in 2010 was earthquake readiness and response. She said the exercise planned for 2014 will be “everybody’s worst nightmare: an earthquake in cold weather.”

The drill planned for February will test how prepared the state and communities are for a cold-weather event and how much they can handle before having to seek outside help.