Haines flooding and mud slides

[fairweather]

Does anyone have any personal knowledge of what is going on in Haines, Alaska since the recent massive storm. I saw an article on a weather site that suggested that the two main roads to the ferry and Canada were closed and that Coast Guard helicopters were helping evacuate those who live along them. I love this port and want to hear that all the residents are safe.

 

Here is the article: https://www.ksdk.com/article/weather/accuweather/atmospheric-river-triggers-flooding-landslides-across-southeastern-alaska/507-43fe60f3-e3c1-405b-8bc8-2be46c9984c6

[AKStafford]

Here's the local news source. https://www.chilkatvalleynews.com/

It's pretty bad. The Governor has declared a disaster and all kinds of state & federal agencies were on scene. They've ended the search & rescue effort for the two that are still missing and moving into recovery stage: https://www.juneauempire.com/news/state-calls-off-active-search-and-rescue-operations-in-haines/

[Northern Aurora]

The Anchorage Daily News (www.adn.com) has also had extensive coverage of the damage.  

 

The aerial views of the major slide are incredible.  Even when you read the amount of material which slipped down that mountain side to see the photos, both from the air and ones taken from the Alaska state ferry the LeConte, are simply amazing.  Bedrock is exposed.  Photos of even the much smaller land slides are incredible too -- there is one taken from the LeConte which shows a front end loader clearing debris from the road along the waterfront; with the front end loader in the photo you have a sense of the scale.

 

The ADN has also published a number of the photos of the flooding.  Not only are homes flooded, but there has been extensive damage to infrastructure such as their city water and sewage systems.

 

A reporter from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner tweeted about a conversation he had with the acting city manager.  He asked her how many homes were damaged and she said they didn't know.  The FDNM reporter then prompted her asking if it was dozens.  He says the acting city manager sounded dumbstruck and said something like "oh no -- it is in the hundreds."