There was a deadly landslide in my hometown of Ketchikan, Alaska four days ago. The devestation is terrible.
I am safe, My family is safe. A City worker, called in on his day off to clear out storm drains, lost his life. His coworker suffered multiple broken ribs.
I live *just* outside the evacuation area. If I lived across the street I would be typing this from the makeshift shelter at the high school gym, that’s how close to the evacuation zone we are. The landslide was about a block and a half, maybe two blocks away. I heard the rumble. I thought it was thunder. And I was confused for a moment, because there was a flash of light, but it happened after the rumble. I heard the rumble, looked out the window, saw a huge, intense flash of light, and then the lights went out. So then I thought maybe it was a transformer that exploded. And then the sirens started. So many sirens. And some of them were close.
I went to get a drink of water and saw flashing lights from the kitchen window. An ambulance was parked outside my apartment. First responders were running up the hill. Then another ambulance pulled up behind the first. And more responders. Something was really wrong. I saw downed power lines on the street corner above me.
A half an hour later we got the Text Alert that there had been a landslide affecting the third avenue bypass and that power lines were down on second avenue. My husband realized first, and then I saw his expression and understood: Our friends Bill and James live beneath the bypass. “Go!” I said as he headed for his shoes. He returned twenty minutes later with news that their house had been swept off its foundations by the landslide, crashing into the house next door. James had a dislocated shoulder and had been sent to the hospital. He didn’t know where Bill was, but had confirmation that he was alive, and that was enough. There was no word on their two small dogs.
The landslide cleaved a scar down the center of our small town. And it feels like Ketchikan has an open wound. Everybody feels it. Things won’t feel right again for quite a while.
Bill and James are okay. You can see them recount their stories here: https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/video/2024/08/29/depth-alaska-ketchikan-couple-recount-rescue-landslide-toppled-home/. Bill’s story of of going to James’ hospital room…. it’s so touching. There is a go fund me set up for Bill and James https://gofund.me/8d6e10d8. The insurance company is refusing to pay on their claim.
