State and federal assistance for homeowners rebuilding remains uncertain On Dec. 5, Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed a disaster declaration for Southeast Alaska after flooding and landslides damaged roads, public facilities and private property from Ketchikan to Haines. The disaster declaration will make state assistance available for public infrastructure repairs and is the first step in […]
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Floods, slides pummel Haines, rebuilding begins
The skies cleared Wednesday after a week of rain that kept instabilities in the landscape active and a ground search for missing residents on standby. After days marked by uncertainty, loss and grief, some of the roughly 50 displaced families moved back home. The disaster, caused by record-setting rainfall that began last Tuesday, was precipitated […]
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Residents battle flooding, mudslides, sinkholes during record-breaking storm
Chilkat Valley residents woke to widespread flooding and mudslides on Dec. 2 after the weather station at the airport recorded 5.49 inches of rain on Dec. 1, a new record for rainfall in a 24-hour period. Between Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, the weather station received 8.63 inches of rain. “I watched my shoes float […]
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Upper Mount Riley Road houses evacuated based on available geoscience data
Houses on upper Mount Riley Road are now under mandatory evacuation. On Tuesday, the Haines Borough Emergency Operations Center (EOC) refined landslide areas of concern based on data collected by state geologists and crowdsourced from residents over the past few days. The EOC has created three categories to describe landslide risk: “be prepared,” “elevated alert,” and “evacuate,” […]
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Consumers to pay more at checkout next year after AML increases shipping rates
Prices in stores throughout Haines are likely to rise beginning Jan. 31 when Alaska Marine Lines (AML) increases shipping rates in Southeast by 5%. The increase will reflect an 8.75% total increase since January 2020. “The freight weight is definitely a factor in price. We take the freight rate we’re charged and add that into […]
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Shop Local and Save round two generates $160,000 in one week
The second round of the Haines Borough’s “Shop Local and Save” program, which opened Nov. 20, ended a week early after residents submitted the maximum number of applications allotted. The program was scheduled to end on Dec. 6. “We tapped out at 400 (applications) on Friday (Nov. 27) at 3 p.m.,” Haines Economic Development Corporation […]
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Mayor tells townsite residents to prepare for possible evacuation
Haines Mayor Douglas Olerud warned town residents Saturday evening around 9:45 p.m. to be prepared to evacuate in the event that weather conditions worsen. “We want people to be prepared in case they have to do an evacuation,” Olerud said. “We’ve got snow, followed by rain. They want us to be prepared.” A Haines Borough Emergency Operations Center preparedness […]
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Tree knocks out power for several hours
A dead tree overloaded with snow fell into transmission power lines on Lutak Road causing partial power outages in Haines and Skagway Monday afternoon, AP&T operations manager Lance Caldwell said. AP&T workers repaired the lines and power was restored later that evening.
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Shop local organizers to push for another round for holidays
Residents spent more than $60,000 in 13 days in response to the byHaines “Shop Local and Save” program—and organizers say they want to promote another round in time for holiday shopping. The Haines Chamber of Commerce and Haines Economic Development Corporation collaborated on the program that awarded $100 in gift certificates, paid for by $20,000 […]