At least 290 Juneau homes, including apartments and condos, were damaged by last week’s glacial outburst flooding.
That’s according to a preliminary damage assessment completed by the City and Borough of Juneau and the American Red Cross of Alaska this past weekend.
Many homeowners are still cleaning out their homes.
“We’re collecting all different types of garbage right now – that’s your general trash, construction and demolition debris, large appliances, hazardous waste,” said Deputy City Manager Robert Barr. “Impacted residents can place those things at the edge of their property line close to the right-of-way.”
The Alaska Department of Transportation hauled away more than 100 truckloads of trash over the weekend, and Barr said crews will continue trash pick-up through this week, and likely beyond.
The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is also providing free debris removal for tribal citizens. Tribal Transportation Manager RJ Hill estimates crews took 15 tons of trash to the dump in just the first day and a half of clean up last week.
The city will also set up a junk vehicle pick-up for the many cars that were totaled by flood water. It already operates a year-round junk vehicle program that takes in vehicles for free, but the sheer number of damaged cars and trucks will overwhelm that system. The city is looking for a short-term solution to store vehicles while they’re waiting to be junked.
Volunteers are helping with the clean-up too. More than 100 people showed up to help at the Melvin Park volunteer center over the weekend, but United Way volunteer coordinator Ryan O’Shaughnessy said more help is needed.
“We need folks who are willing to get into a crawl space, get dirty, and help us haul out insulation as well as sheetrock and insulation that’s behind it,” he said.
O’Shaughnessy added that people who can’t do the heavy duty work can still help out with things like cooking and delivering meals. United Way is also asking for donations or loans of dehumidifiers, respirators and elbow length gloves.
The volunteer center will be open at Melvin Park at least through Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free hot meals will be available there each day from noon to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Information about volunteer opportunities later in the week will be posted on the city’s website.
From Wednesday through Friday, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will open two disaster assistance centers to help homeowners and renters affected by flooding navigate applications for individual state disaster relief money.
People can show up to the Mendenhall Valley Library or Generations Southeast Community Learning anytime between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Be sure to bring documentation of damages, a valid ID, proof of occupancy and insurance information. The deadline to apply for State Individual Assistance is Oct. 9, 2024 and applications can be submitted online.
The American Red Cross of Alaska has also announced that it will be offering financial assistance for people whose primary residence was damaged in the flood. The Red Cross will be operating it’s own assistance center this week at the Open Red Cross Enrollment Center on Glacier Highway, Monday through Wednesday.
