Is Alaska more dangerous than the lower 48? Are things like wildlife, earthquakes, avalanches, volcanoes, etc. a real concern?
Depending on where you live, there are various aspects of life in Alaska that are more dangerous than other parts of the United States. For example, there are a lot more hazardous jobs here, in industries like logging, oil exploration, and especially commercial fishing, as noted in a recent Anchorage Daily News article Alaska’s work death rates lead nation. Alaska is on the Ring of Fire so in parts of the state there is lots of seismic activity. There are earthquakes (and volcanoes) frequently in the Anchorage area, though not so much here in Juneau. There are lots of forest fires in the Interior of the state, near Fairbanks but less so in Southeast Alaska (because we’re a rainforest and get more precipitation). Because of all the extra rainfall Southeast Alaska is at greater risk for mudslides, and if fact there were several in Southeast this fall (2005), including a couple right here in Juneau.
