1 dead as landslide sweeps across roads, into homes in Alaska, officials say

A landslide in Ketchikan, Alaska, has killed at least one person and has blocked roads and damaged houses, officials said.

Three people were injured and taken to the hospital, according to Kacie Paxton, a public information officer for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. One of those people was later released, she said.

Mandatory evacuations were put in place after the landslide swept through several streets in Ketchikan at about 4 p.m. Sunday, Paxton said. Alaska State Troopers and local authorities were undertaking search and rescue operations.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued an Alaska Disaster Emergency Declaration. A separate Joint Disaster Emergency Declaration was issued by borough Mayor Rodney Dial and city of Ketchikan Mayor Dave Kiffer.

“In my 65 years in Ketchikan, I have never seen a slide of this magnitude,” Kiffer said in a statement. “With the slides we have seen across the region, there is clearly a region-wide issue that we need to try to understand with the support of our state geologist.”

“The loss of life that we have encountered is heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to those who lost their homes,” he added.

Photos released by the borough appeared to show a pile of trees and loose soil up against several hillside homes, at least one of which appeared to have been pushed into another home. Other photos appeared to show roads covered with debris, including trees.

“Our prayers are with the families, the injured, those recovering, and the community,” Sen. Dan Sullivan said on social media, later adding, “My team and I stand ready to help facilitate any federal assistance that may be necessary.”

Ketchikan Gateway Borough officials warned Monday morning that “the slide area remains unstable.”

“State and local geologists will be onsite mid-morning to assess the area for potential secondary slides,” officials said. “A NOAA weather team and representatives from the State Emergency Operations Center will also be on scene.”

This landslide comes as Ketchikan saw about 3 inches of rain this month — about half its average rainfall for August.

Ketchikan received over 2.5 inches of rainfall over this weekend, and higher elevations in the Ketchikan Range reported 5 to 9 inches of rain. Too much rain at once after a drier period can cause a landslide.

The rain will continue Monday morning and then dry off through Tuesday. More rain is expected Wednesday and Thursday as a new frontal system moves in.

Landslides are common in southeast Alaska. Six people were killed, including an 11-year-old girl, in a major landslide in Wrangell, about 100 miles north of Ketchikan, last November.