Crews in Ketchikan began hauling off debris on Thursday from houses destroyed in the city’s deadly August 25th landslide. An evacuation order remains in effect for a handful of homes along Second Avenue. Clean-up efforts are also continuing on Third Avenue. State geologists declared the slopes above and below Third Avenue to be stable and Borough spokeswoman Kacie Paxton said that following the removal of debris, the critical roadway is in better condition than originally anticipated.
“We are on track with restoring all services to Second Avenue by the 10th of September, and it’s a goal to complete the slope stabilization along the slide area – both above Third Avenue below Third Avenue – by the 13th of September, and then to complete necessary repairs to open Third Avenue,” said Paxton.
The City and Borough announced in a press release that they intend to reopen the Third Avenue Bypass by September 30.
Paxton said that the US Forest Service will begin hydroseeding the hillside over the weekend, a process that will provide additional stabilization and protect the area from further slides.
Starting Friday, the city’s Emergency Operations Center has been dismantled. Paxton said it is still operating part-time, but city officials have returned to their regular posts.
Many residents have expressed concern about further rain in the forecast leading to another slide. Paxton said officials will be closely monitoring areas of concern.
“The most important thing is that families should be prepared, and if at any time they feel uncomfortable, there still are resources available at the Armory and Salvation Army,” she said.
Services for displaced residents have moved from Ketchikan High School to the National Guard Armory and are slated to continue until all evacuation orders are lifted. You can call 907-228-2383 to request overnight assistance.
The city is also continuing to grapple with traffic concerns. The landslide cut off the Third Avenue Bypass and left Tongass Avenue, which is currently undergoing extensive renovations by the state Department of Transportation, as the only thoroughfare on the island. The combination of ongoing tourism with schools being back in session is creating extra traffic headaches.
Paxton said most cruise tour operators are working with city officials to reduce their impact on the congestion, but she said at least one tour operator’s permit has been revoked by the city for leading tourists into the landslide area.
“Basically, they went past the signs that were very clearly marked and took tourists into the area,” she said.
According to Paxton, any tour operator that enter the restricted area around the slide will immediately lose their permit to operate in the city and any company that attempts to drive a tour vehicle on Third Avenue will receive a $1,000 fine.
In addition to housing debris, Paxton said three severely damaged houses in the slide zone have been slated to be demolished over the weekend. Residents are asked to avoid the city’s landfill on Saturday, to allow easy access for the dump trucks carrying the remains of the demolished houses. Tour operators are also asked to avoid the base of the dump hill and Fair Street for the entirety of the weekend.
Landslide experts are still on scene evaluating data to determine an exact cause of the landslide.
Anyone who had disaster-related expenses to their primary residence because of the event on August 25, 2024, is encouraged to complete the Individual Assistance application. The application can be accessed via https://ready.alaska.gov/Recovery/IA or calls may be made to the IA hotline at 1-844-445-7131 Monday-Friday. The caseworker assigned can work to investigate other programs individuals may be eligible to use.
