Juneau’s plea for help amid weeks of punishing snowfall has been answered. Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a verbal state disaster declaration late Tuesday, opening the door to emergency funding and operational support as the capital braces for an incoming atmospheric river.
The declaration follows a joint local disaster declaration by the City and Borough of Juneau and the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, which warned that prolonged heavy snowfall and repeated freeze-thaw cycles are pushing roofs, drainage systems, and other critical infrastructure toward unsafe limits. Roofs, such as the one at the Bill Ray Center downtown, are collapsing and many stores have closed for safety reasons due to the snow loads.
City and tribal leaders said existing local resources are no longer sufficient to keep public facilities, particularly schools, safe. They are seeking both funding and personnel to remove ice and snow before additional storms increase loads beyond design capacities.
“This joint disaster declaration reflects the seriousness of what our community is facing and the responsibility we share to protect our people and critical infrastructure,” said Tlingit & Haida President Richard Peterson. He cited ongoing snowfall, warming and refreezing temperatures, and more storms ahead as compounding risks.
The request to the state includes assistance with roof snow loads, drainage and hydrant access, avalanche monitoring, and other operational support. The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy precipitation and rapidly warming temperatures later this week, conditions that elevate avalanche and landslide risk across the region. The Alaska Legislature is set to convene on Jan. 20 in Juneau.
State resources are already mobilizing. The State Emergency Operations Center has begun coordinating help, and agencies including Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities are part of the response effort.
City Manager Katie Koester said the situation has stretched the community thin. “What we are experiencing is unprecedented,” she said. “Our community is exhausted, the impacts are ongoing, and winter has just begun.”
3 thoughts on “Governor declares disaster in Juneau due to snow, rain, more snow and more rain”
The day the legislature is called into session should carry a permanent state disaster declaration, or at least until those who run for the position and are elected start to do the job the ran for.
If the Capital were relocated to Willow, wouldn’t this put less people in harm and lower the risk of an overcrowded Alaskan city such as Juneau? If there were a significant avalanche event, what is the back-up plan to effectively continue SOA government operations?
We’d all feel better about extreme disasters if Alaskans didn’t live so dependent upon the governments
Extreme disasters we can’t control its timing, but not being dependent on someone’s rescue all the time is what we can control so when disaster comes into one’s life your spirit be more resilient to take what ever comes and not be crippled and exhausted because of weakness
This is Juneau’s third extreme disaster since is last disastrous two floodings taking out neighborhoods
Do you think they are being told a message?