Flooding, landslides bring misery to parts of Alaska

September 22, 2012 – ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Flooding continues to cause problems throughout Southcentral Alaska. Jeremy Zidek, spokesman for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, says in a release that there have been reports of flooding, landslides and road closures throughout the area. But there has been no report of major injuries. Residents in East Talkeetna are being told to evacuate because of flooding. The Red Cross has established three shelters in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and helped with another in Seward. Weather problems are not confined to Southcentral Alaska. Zidek says a landslide has blocked access from the village of Chenega to its airport, and state transportation officials are working to restore access. And an assessment team is in Tanacross to evaluate damage from Sunday’s wind storm. –SAC Bee

Widespread flooding: Residents of the Alaska tourist town of Talkeetna have been asked to leave because of the threat of flooding from the rain-swollen Talkeetna River. It’s beginning to look like an island,” Renamary Rauchenstein, a resident, said in an interview on Friday. “It’s rising pretty fast.” Flooding from heavy rains is causing problems over a wide part of Alaska, from Talkeetna, near the base of Mount McKinley, to the port town of Seward, about 150 miles to the south. Many roads were closed or washed out, and landslides were reported. Gov. Sean Parnell toured the area around Talkeetna by helicopter on Friday and landed to talk to some of the residents who fled their homes. The governor declared a state disaster for the areas hit by the flooding. Talkeetna, about 75 miles north of Anchorage, is the last stop for climbers heading to Mount McKinley. It also has an eclectic population and has long been purported to be the inspiration for the Alaska town in the 1990s television series “Northern Exposure.” The flooding and high winds have interrupted some passenger and freight train traffic since Tuesday, said Stephenie Wheeler, a spokeswoman for Alaska Railroad. Trains scheduled to travel north of the Anchorage suburb of Wasilla have been canceled at least until Monday. Crews were dealing with washouts and bridge damage in several areas along a 70-mile stretch of railway.  Overnight rain totals ranged from 0.5 inches to 1.5 inches north of Anchorage in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, David Streubel, a National Weather Service hydrologist, said on Friday. The Talkeetna River was four feet above flood level and within a foot of its record stage of 17.4 feet, Mr. Streubel said. Talkeetna officials said a levee west of town had been breached in two or three places. Water covered 35 percent of the town on Friday, said Mary Brodigan, the borough spokeswoman. Ms. Rauchenstein planned to stay in her home despite the advice to evacuate. “Even if the power is out,” she said, “it’s not very cold this time of year, and we got a two-story building.” –NY Times

contribution Susan