PALMER — Matanuska-Susitna Borough officials have issued a disaster declaration and asked for state financial support following a three-day windstorm with hurricane-force gusts that left some residents without power until early Wednesday morning.
“The borough has declared a disaster for the Dec. 5 to 9, 2025, high winds,” Borough Manager Mike Brown said during a joint Mat-Su Assembly and School Board meeting Tuesday evening. “The borough experienced wind gusts of at least 89 miles an hour and gusts in excess of 50 miles an hour from Friday, Dec. 5, through Tuesday, Dec. 9 — that is crazy.”
The declaration asks the state for public and individual financial assistance to support recovery efforts, Brown said.
The request was submitted to Gov. Mike Dunleavy Tuesday afternoon, Brown said in an interview. It does not guarantee individual financial aid, he said.
Hundreds of Mat-Su residents remained without power Tuesday as residents and officials surveyed damage and began cleanup efforts. Power wasn’t fully restored to all Matanuska Electric Association members until 2 a.m. Wednesday, the utility said.
Households and businesses still without power should call the Matanuska Electric Association hotline at 907-746-7697 and press 3 to speak with a representative, MEA officials said. Doing so helps the utility sync its outage map with reports from customers who still need assistance.
An American Red Cross emergency shelter at the Curtis D. Menard Center in Wasilla was expected to remain open for at least one more day, spokesperson Taylar Sausen said.
“Although we don’t anticipate anybody staying overnight tonight, it will remain open for the next day or so as we evaluate if there is still a need for folks to have shelter as power has mostly been restored,” she said in a statement.
Wind speeds during the storm peaked Saturday evening with a gust of 89 mph at Palmer Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Anchorage. By midday Tuesday, winds at the airport were negligible, according to weather data.
All Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District facilities were expected to reopen Wednesday, despite minor damage to some buildings, said district spokesperson John Notestine. Fences and sheds were flipped or tossed by the wind, and an outbuilding was damaged at Academy Charter School in Palmer, he said.
About 20 Durham school buses were damaged by rocks and flying debris, with repairs expected in time for school Wednesday morning, Notestine said.
Damage to official buildings small, but residents see major problems
Residents across Mat-Su spent Tuesday surveying the damage on their homes — trees on fences and roofs, missing shingles, burst pipes.
The borough does not have the authority to offer financial assistance to those individuals, Brown said. Such help could become available if Dunleavy gives the OK, he said.
“That would put the wheels in motion to potentially allow folks to get some assistance,” he said.
A decision on the declaration is expected this week.
Across Mat-Su, few government assets were damaged in the storm.
Winds were expected to return to the region Wednesday through Friday, with gusts of between 30 and 45 mph expected starting Wednesday afternoon, forecasters said Tuesday.
The borough building saw minimal damage, Brown said, though issues included missing siding. The Sutton Library lost some siding and was without power over the weekend, but crews used a generator to prevent its pipes from freezing, said Community Development Director Jillian Morrisey.
Hurricane-force winds toppled trees in Matanuska River Park, including some large cottonwoods, Morrisey said. Trail crews were traveling across the borough Tuesday to scout damage in other parks, and users who notice downed trees on trails should contact the community development office at recreational.services@matsugov.us, she said.
City buildings in Houston escaped the storm unscathed, Houston Fire Chief Christian Hartley said Tuesday.
In Wasilla, the most significant damage was to a Christmas and Hanukkah display near Wasilla Lake. The menorah broke in half, and the Christmas tree bent over, said Public Works Director Erich Schaal.
In Palmer, public works crews were also reviewing public buildings for damage Tuesday. A generator was set up to keep pipes from freezing in the historic Palmer Depot, which first lost power Saturday and remained dark Tuesday.
“Personnel are out clearing debris — and there are hundreds of trash cans blowing around,” said Public Works Director Jude Bilafer.
-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com
This story originally appeared in the Mat-Su Sentinel and is republished here with permission.
