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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Posted inNews, Search and Rescue
Geologists say Beach Road slide area remains unsafe for on-foot search and rescue
On Friday, three State of Alaska geologists were finally able to get into Haines via the ferry to begin assessing the stability of the area on Beach Road where a Dec. 2 mudslide took out several houses and left two people missing. The geologists are an important part of determining whether it’s safe to send […]
Posted inNews, Climate
Changing climate means more landslides in future, scientists say in wake of Haines disaster
The Dec. 2 slope failure at Beach Road that left two residents missing is at once tragic and unexpected, and also not at all surprising for Southeast Alaska, according to state geologists. The region is prime landslide territory and a changing climate-trending toward warmer, rainier winters-is likely to increase the frequency of slides in the […]
Posted inSoutheast News, Search and Rescue
Some regional resources in search for missing residents sent home
Regional assets assisting in the search for 30-year-old David Simmons and 23-year-old Jenae Larson, missing in the wake of the Dec. 2 Beach Road landslide, were sent home. Meanwhile, on Sunday, local search and rescue volunteers combed beaches looking for artifacts and debris. “We’re placing the search and rescue on a limited search and rescue […]
Posted inNews
AP&T crew installs temporary lines, restores power to Lutak homes
AP&T crews restored power at about 3 p.m. Sunday to the 46 homes toward the end of Lutak Road that have been without electricity since late Tuesday night. AP&T operations manager Lance Caldwell said workers temporarily routed cables along the side of the road and the lines will be susceptible to future runoff. “Unfortunately, it will be […]
Posted inNews, Search and Rescue
Troopers suspend search for Simmons and Larson
The Alaska State Troopers suspended search operations Monday for Jenae Larson, 23, and David Simmons, 30, who went missing last week after a massive landslide above Beach Road. Mayor Douglas Olerud notified the community early Monday evening that continued rain and the risk of more landslides have prevented further search efforts of the debris field. “We […]
Posted inNews
New risk identified in area immediately to the south of Beach Road slide
There’s potential for another landslide on the south side of the Beach Road slide area, based on LiDAR images collected over the past few days. The entire area remains under mandatory evacuation. Residents should not return to homes until further notice, borough officials said at a noon press briefing on Thursday, Dec. 10. A LiDAR […]
Posted inSoutheast News, Search and Rescue
Volunteers turnout to assist with search for Simmons and Larson
Roughly 100 masked volunteers met at 6 a.m. at the Haines Borough Public Safety building on Thursday, Dec. 3 to assist with the search for two residents still missing after the Beach Road mudslide-30-year-old Haines Economic Development Corporation executive director David Simmons and Haines School kindergarten teacher Jenae Larson, in her early 20s. “I’m here because I […]
Posted inNews
Personnel Committee asks assembly to finalize borough manager hiring plan
The Haines Borough could begin accepting applications for a new, permanent manager as soon as this month if the assembly acts on a Personnel Committee recommendation made in late November. The committee is requesting that the assembly finalize a manager hiring plan at the regular assembly meeting on Dec. 8. At the November Personnel Committee meeting, members […]
Posted inNews
Borough explains ,lack of participant list, at Zoom meetings
The transition to Zoom meetings as a COVID-19 precautionary measure has been somewhat bumpy for the Haines Borough. On top of the routine “You’re still muted” and “I can’t tell who’s raising their hands” issues that come with the platform, this fall, the borough began receiving complaints from residents after it switched the assembly meeting format […]