Teams of scientists, engineers and meteorologists continued their work Tuesday assessing the steep hillside in Ketchikan following Sunday’s fatal landslide.
Kacie Paxton with the Ketchikan Gateway Borough said local and state geologists with the state Department of Transportation are surveying the mountainside with drones. They are looking at both the site of the fatal landslide over Third Avenue and a secondary slide on Copper Ridge Lane.
“They’re also looking at the area in between those two on the south end of Third Avenue up on the ridge, an area of potential concern. They want to determine the risk of that area,” Paxton said.
The team confirmed later Tuesday that there were no immediate threats for further slides adjacent to the Third Avenue landslide.
To give the geologists and their drones room to work, the Federal Aviation Administration is continuing to restrict flights over the slide area through the beginning of next week. Alaska Airlines flights in and out of Ketchikan will not be affected.
To further assess the risk of another slide, the City of Ketchikan and the borough also have a team of meteorologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on-site. Paxton said they are conducting soil testing and monitoring incoming rain levels. There has been a period of clear weather since the storm that brought the initial slide, but Paxton said rain expected Wednesday could prolong evacuation orders.
Residents along First Avenue, West Third Avenue, Austin Street and Second Avenue south of Whitecliff Avenue were allowed to return to their homes by Tuesday evening, but other areas along Second Avenue from the 2100 block to Whitecliff Avenue remain off-limits. Crews from Juneau’s Capital City Fire and Rescue were also onsite assessing the structures impacted by the slide. They confirmed four homes were a total loss with additional damage to several others. Paxton said cleanup efforts have begun.
“They’re beginning the debris removal systematically, and so we have communicated to homeowners in that Second Avenue area around Whitecliff that there would be no access for a short period of time while they do that work, just in case there are any effects of the work that they’re doing there,” Paxton said.
Borough officials said that once Third Avenue is cleared, engineers will need to reevaluate and address structural damage to the bypass. Paxton said that because of the magnitude of the slide and the work required to assess its stability, Third Avenue is expected to be closed for an extended period.
In the meantime, authorities are still asking drivers to limit trips on Tongass Avenue between First Avenue and Washington Street. They also request avoiding Copper Ridge Lane, the site of the secondary slide, so cleanup and assessment efforts can begin there.
Paxton said crews are working to rebuild the area’s electric grid. The landslide tore down power poles and left downed livewires in its wake. Power has been restored to some areas, but an estimated 60 households in the slide zone still don’t have electricity.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy declared a disaster for the landslide area Sunday night. The governor was in Ketchikan Tuesday meeting with local officials. He was also present at the processional Tuesday afternoon for the body of Sean Griffin, the man who lost his life in the slide. Griffin was a 17-year veteran of the city’s public works department who was part of a two-person crew clearing storm drains in the area when they were caught in the slide.
Resources
Borough and city officials will hold an information session for the community about landslide response, recovery and prevention with geologists and other experts at 6 p.m. Wednesday online. Questions for the panel can be submitted here.
The City and Borough are asking evacuees who need to enter their homes to notify the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center at 907-228-2383 before returning to the area.
The emergency shelter at Ketchikan High School remains open and is staffed with medical personnel and fully stocked with food, bedding, and other necessities. Authorities said there is plenty of space available.
The shelter is looking for people who can help provide hot meals to feed 25-30 people. If you are able to help feed the families sheltered at Kayhi, call 907-225-9815.
The governor’s disaster declaration means people affected by the landslide may be eligible for assistance through the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website. The state’s assistance program provides grants to repair homes, replace essential items, address medical needs and provide temporary housing, among other things. Registration is also available by phone at 844-445-7131. The deadline to apply is Oct. 27.
Text alerts are available through Nixle by texting 99901 to 888-777.
The Alaska National Guard is being deployed to Ketchikan next week to assist with further cleanup.
School remains canceled for all Ketchikan schools through Wednesday.
Eric Stone covers state government, tracking the Alaska Legislature, state policy and its impact on all Alaskans. Reach him at estone@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @eriwinsto. Read more about Eric here.
