By SUZANNE DOWNING
The City of Hoonah has declared a local disaster emergency after a battering series of winter storms buried the Southeast Alaska community under several feet of snow, overwhelming local resources and damaging homes, boats, and infrastructure.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy verbally approved a state disaster declaration, so the town can get state assistance for snow removal, emergency repairs, and recovery costs.
The Hoonah City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to issue the declaration after back-to-back storms in late December and early January dumped an estimated three feet of snow across the town of roughly 930 residents. The snow, combined with warming weather and rain, has collapsed porches and trailers, damaged buildings, and caused vessels in the harbor to list or sink as ice and snow accumulated on decks and rigging.
Governor declares disaster in Juneau due to snow, rain, more snow and more rain
Hoonah, located on the northeastern shore of Chichagof Island about 30 to 40 miles west of Juneau across Icy Strait, is the largest Tlingit village in Alaska. Like many Southeast Alaska communities, it is accessible only by air or ferry, leaving it especially vulnerable when weather disrupts supply lines and emergency services.
City officials said snow removal crews and equipment were quickly overwhelmed as storm after storm rolled through the region, mirroring conditions in nearby Juneau, which has also faced record snowfall, roof collapses, and emergency declarations this winter.
The heavy accumulation has blocked roads, buried parked vehicles, and strained the city’s ability to keep public buildings, harbor facilities, and emergency routes operational. With limited heavy equipment and personnel, Hoonah’s small public works department was unable to keep pace with the sheer volume of snow.
The emergency declaration allows the city to seek reimbursement and direct assistance from the state to hire contractors, rent equipment, and make urgent repairs before additional storms or rain compound the damage.
Southeast Alaska has been hammered by an unusually intense winter pattern this season, with repeated warm-air-over-snow events creating dense, heavy accumulations that are far more damaging than the region’s typical lighter snowfall. Juneau has also declared a disastrous, with schools, businesses, and government offices closed due to perilous snow loads on roofs.
