A landslide that swept across a forested mountainside in Southeast Alaska killed a girl, injured a woman and left five other people missing while destroying three homes in a remote fishing community, authorities said Tuesday.
Crews used a body-sniffing dog and heat-sensing drones to search for those still missing hours after the disaster.
The slide, estimated to be about 137 meters (450 feet) wide, occurred around 9 p.m. Monday during a major storm near Wrangell, an island community of 2,000 residents about 155 miles (250 kilometers) south of Juneau.
Alaska State Trooper spokesman Austin McDaniel said at a news conference that three adults and two children are missing and that a girl was found dead during a quick search Monday night.
Authorities said they did not immediately know the girl’s age.
On Tuesday morning, crews rescued a woman who was upstairs in a home who was hit, McDaniel said. She was in good condition and receiving medical attention.
The slide swept across the mountainside, leaving a scar of barren land from near the top of the peak to the ocean, sweeping away large evergreen trees and leaving in its wake what appeared to be the remains of homes.
One of the three homes affected was unoccupied, McDaniel said.
The slide, estimated to be about 137 meters (450 feet) wide, occurred around 9 p.m. Monday during a major storm near Wrangell, an island community of 2,000 residents about 155 miles (250 kilometers) south of Juneau.
An Alaska Department of Transportation geologist flew in from Juneau, the state capital, and conducted a preliminary assessment of the slide area, clearing some areas of the debris field to begin ground searches.
Phone service appeared to be down in the remote community, but officials posted on Facebook that a local food bank was accepting donations and offering a community gathering place at a bakery.
“Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts are with those who are suffering due to the events of last night,” officials wrote on Wrangell’s Facebook page.
The landslide cut off access and electricity to about 75 homes, and boats have been ferrying residents from the isolated area to the unaffected part of the city, according to the state emergency management office.
Police said a large-scale search and rescue mission was not initially possible because the site was unstable and dangerous.
Alaska State Trooper spokesman Austin McDaniel said at a news conference that three adults and two children are missing and that a girl was found dead during a quick search Monday night.
Mason Villarma, Wrangell’s interim city manager, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that finding the missing is the priority.
“Our community is resilient. And they always come together for tragedies like this. “We are devastated, but resilient and determined to find all the missing,” Villarma said.
“Parts of the slide have been opened for search and rescue professionals, but in limited locations,” Villarma said.
“There are currently two of them that can work in those areas with a cadaver dog. And there were also drones with heat sensors.”
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Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration for Wrangell, saying he and his wife were praying for everyone affected.
“Rose and I are heartbroken by this disaster and are praying for the safety of everyone on the scene and offering every resource our state has available,” he said in a statement on social media.
The state transportation department said a drone expert and a heavy equipment operator were also sent to Wrangell.
The state’s emergency management division also planned to send someone to Wrangell to determine what the community’s needs are, agency spokesman Jeremy Zidek added.
Officers also warned of the threat of possible additional landslides in the area after a stormy day marked by strong winds and rain.
They urged people trapped on the other side of the slide, away from Wrangell, to evacuate by water taxi.
A shelter has been established.
Wrangell received about 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain between 1 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday, with wind gusts up to 60 mph (96 kph) at higher elevations, said Aaron Jacobs, a hydrologist and meteorologist with the Weather Service. National in Juneau.
It was part of a strong storm system that moved through Southeast Alaska, bringing heavy snow in some places and blizzard-like conditions in Juneau, and rain with minor flooding in areas farther south.
Landslides were also reported in the Ketchikan area and on Prince of Wales Island, he said.
Another storm system is expected in the Wrangell area Wednesday into Thursday.
Wrangell is one of the oldest non-Alaska Native settlements in the state, founded in 1811 when Russians began trading with the Tlingits, according to a state database of Alaska communities.
The Tlingit, Russians, British, and Americans represented historical influences on Wrangell.
Timber was once a major economic driver, but has shifted to commercial fishing.
In December 2020, torrential rains caused a landslide in another city in Southeast Alaska, claiming two lives. The 200-yard-wide slide hit a neighborhood in the Haines community, leaving about 9 feet (2.7 meters) of mud and trees covering city streets.
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