Landslides in Alaska. All rights reserved. Its Port St. Nicholas Road has seen at least four slides since late October — including one on Saturday, Nov. 28 that was cleared the following day. Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska State Troopers and other agencies are on the ground in Haines. City and state crews were busy clearing roadways of mud and debris on Wednesday morning. A glacier that had held an Alaskan slope in place for centuries is melting, releasing the soil beneath in what can be described as a slow-motion landslide, researchers say. The massive landslide in Lituya Bay, Alaska on July 9, 1958 caused a wave 1,700’ tall to wash away vegetation along the shores of the bay. For a closer view, Alpine Air Alaska has posted aerial photographs and a video. along the Haines Highway in an area of frequent rock fall. It’s under control now, though. For a closer view, Alpine Air Alaska has posted aerial photographs and a video. Flooding in Haines was significant on Wednesday. School was canceled for the day and city officials urged residents to stay indoors and not travel. With reporting from Erin McKinstry, Jeremy Hsieh, Rashah McChesney, Henry Leasia and Joe Viechnicki. … No life threatening damage of any sorts.”. “We’re seeing real heavy rainfall amounts all across the panhandle,” said Jonathan Suk with the National Weather Service in Juneau. There are many examples of landslides that have significantly impacted Alaska. Landslide potential depends on a number of factors, including topography (slope), Joshua Huskey said there hasn’t been any catastrophic damage. Changing climate in Alaska increases the risk of landslides Landslide maps help raise awareness and promote … The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) frequently deals with A December 2018 landslide on the Seward Highway, south of Anchorage, resulted in road closure while material was removed and the area was inspected to ensure safe travel. “I didn’t really know what to do at first so I went to Home Depot, and they were closed last night, and banged on the door until they let me get some sandbags.”, This storm is one for the record books. He said his neighbors have been placing the sandbags and diverting water since Tuesday night. Landslides in Alaska. As of about noon Wednesday, he says water levels are coming up to some homes’ baseboards and door seals, and the river carved away a small embankment near city hall, but he hasn’t had to close roads. We’re still sorting through that trying to come up with all those numbers but we are in the process of doing that and it’s looking like a very wet and unfortunately eventful storm system coming through as we also are seeing a lot of landslides, mudslides and flooding across the area.”, RELATED: As record rains drown Southeast, destruction appears worst in Haines. Heavy rain, high winds and saturated soil bring the potential for landslides, and that’s a particular concern for city officials in the Prince of Wales Island community of Craig. Across Icy Strait in Hoonah, police Sgt. In August 2015 there were more than 60 landslides in and around Sitka after heavy rains inundated the region. Broader impacts of the tsunami include 30-foot waves hitting Whittier, Alaska. The Juneau airport saw nearly five inches of rain in a 24-hour period — a new record for daily rainfall. “No major hills — landslides or slides  of anything. Alaska Landslide: Officials Identify Third Body. Ketchikan was soaked with about 9.5 inches of rain over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to federal meteorologists. There are many examples of landslides that have significantly impacted Alaska. The drainage water systems have been flooding over the roads. Many creeks and lakes were at risk of flooding on Wednesday with one to two inches of rain in the forecast through the end of the day. A flood watch remains in effect through Thursday morning for Haines and Skagway. And heavy rainfall brought Falls Creek near Petersburg to flood stage on Tuesday — the highest level ever recorded on a stream gauge there. These landslides resulted in three fatalities and … Because landslides can potentially impact people and infrastructure in Alaska, DGGS conducts studies to evaluate unstable slopes and provide valuable information to policy makers, state and Water and debris washed out and blocked many roadways. geology, lithology (rock or sediment type), vegetation, and water. Southeast Alaska is taking a beating from a series of storms bringing high winds and heavy rain. Landslides are often complex, involving multiple types of movement and material, and may begin as one type of particularly significant in and around Anchorage. The Tatsuda's IGA building in Ketchikan, Alaska was condemned Feb. 27, 2020 after it was struck early Thursday morning by a rockslide. In general, landslides are classified based on the material type being transported and the mechanics of how the material moves. (Rashah McChesney/KTOO) High winds, flooding and landslides prompted average to extreme injury in communities across Southeast […] A landslide is the down-slope movement of earth material, under the influence of gravity, due to ground failure. This is a developing story. This region has a long history of tsunami waves generated by … These include the numerous ground failures that resulted from the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, which were roads impacted by slope instability and has web sites with information along the state's road system (Unstable Slopes in Alaska; AKDOT&PF's Geotechnical Asset Management Program). By Associated Press August 25, 2015. Many regions in Alaska are especially prone to landslides. “Yeah, we’ve had quite a few landslides here in town, lot of debris in the roads. Landslides are common in Southeast Alaska and the U.S. Forest service has documented thousands of these features in Tongass National Forest. damage to infrastructure, including roadways and homes. In August 2015 there were more than 60 landslides in and around Sitka after heavy rains inundated the region. Scientists have found such an unstable slope near Barry Glacier in Alaska, the United States that stands the chance of failing and causing a mega tsunami bringing damage and destruction on a massive scale. The respite for the region will not come as clear skies, but precipitation for Thursday is expected to be “light” and the winds will die down “considerably.”. It caused a tsunami that inundated an area over 20 km 2, whereas the landslide debris itself deposited within a much smaller area of approximately 2 km 2. KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) — A landslide in a city near the southern tip of the Alaska Panhandle demolished the back side of a grocery store. The downpour inundated low-lying areas around nearby Ward Lake, and 50 mph gusts knocked out power north of town early Tuesday morning. “No houses floating away, nothing like that,” said Miller. mass movement and evolve into another as material moves downslope. According to the experts, the catastrophe can come within the next 12 months or in the coming 20 years. Alaska and landslide tsunamis Alaska is no stranger to landslide-induced tsunamis. Landslides and rising water across Southeast, rain breaks records and keeps falling – Alaska Public Media News The floor exterior of the AWARE workplaces on Glacier Avenue in Juneau is roofed in particles after a mudslide on December 2. The main portion of … In 2004, an area of the Alaska Highway near Northway was rerouted because of a slope failure. Thorne Bay resident Sam Sawyer says he was heading into Klawock for a doctor’s appointment when he came across a landslide blocking state highway 929 near Black Bear Creek Monday, October 26, 2020. Nearly a foot of rain fell in Pelican over the last 48 hours. According to Troopers there has been a landslide in Haines which has damaged at least one house and has possibly cut off access to the airport. In a normal year, cruise ships carrying up to 4,000 passengers transit Glacier Bay’s steep-walled fjords hundreds of … “I know that some locations have set all-time records for the days, for 24 hours. The National Weather Service models show the storm front finally starting to move out of the region Wednesday evening, but heavy rain will continue throughout the day until then. One such research conducted by scientists in Alaska, United States, has warned of an impending mega tsunami in the state which can be triggered by a landslide. In Alaska, degrading permafrost, steep slopes, heavy rain, retreating glaciers, ground-shaking from earthquakes, and isostatic #akwx @KTOOpubmedia @KRBDRadio @ravenradio @KHNS_FM @KFSK1 pic.twitter.com/sKvrlGwjfr. On 17 October 2015, a landslide of roughly 60 × 10 6 m 3 occurred at the terminus of Tyndall Glacier in Taan Fiord, southeastern Alaska. “It is well established that Alaska sees large landslides in the spring, and that their increasing size and frequency is driven by global heating,” Petley wrote. evaluated unstable slopes in a historically problematic area of slope failure along the Richardson Highway south of Glennallen; and investigated alpine-sourced debris flows Using imagery from the Landsat 8 satellite, scientists have confirmed that a large landslide occurred in southeastern Alaska on February 16, 2014. The ensuing splash reached more than 1,700 feet (530 meters) in height. Landslide on the west side of the Dalton Highway, south bank of the Yukon River. High winds, flooding and landslides caused moderate to severe damage in communities across Southeast Alaska Wednesday, as an atmospheric river … Landslides and rising water across Southeast as rain breaks records and keeps falling, Jennifer Pemberton, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau, Rhett Morgan said about 2-3 inches of water flowed into his garage, Evacuations and a search for missing after rains prompt large landslide in Haines, Here’s ASD’s latest plan to bring Anchorage students back to classrooms, Unable to reach hospital because of weather, Pilot Station man dies of COVID-19. DGGS is currently involved in a number of landslide assessment and monitoring projects in Alaska, including: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, AKDOT&PF's Geotechnical Asset Management Program, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. On May 14, an Alaska Department of Natural Resources press release and a public letter from 14 scientists warned locals of a possible landslide-generated tsunami. Take a look at these impressive numbers. These landslides resulted in three fatalities and substantial In Gustavus, Fire Chief Travis Miller says the Salmon River hit its highest level on Wednesday since monitoring began in 2014. High winds, flooding and landslides caused moderate to severe damage in communities across Southeast Alaska Wednesday, as an atmospheric river stalled over the region and brought record-breaking rain. NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Tsunamis caused by submarine (below water) and subaerial (above the water) landslides are a serious hazard in bays and fjords of coastal Alaska, particularly in Southeast and South-central Alaska. Deadly August 2015 landslide near Sitka, Alaska. Transported materials include rock, soil (fine-grained material), and debris (coarse-grained materials) that move downslope by fall, slide, or flow. The researchers said: “Landslides have set off giant waves elsewhere in Alaska and Greenland during the past decade. Petersburg saw over eight and half inches of rain from the storm as of Wednesday. At the landslide's current elevation, its mass would trigger a tsunami with waves hundreds of feet tall in Barry Arm. NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Alaska Division of Geological Geophysical Surveys Landslides cause deaths, injuries, and homelessness every year, and damage or destroy buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. Authors: Stevens, D.S.P., Wolken, G.J., Hubbard, T.D., and Hendricks, K.A. Developing landslide inventory/susceptibility maps and modeling potential debris flow runout for the Sitka and Homer areas; Monitoring the movement of frozen debris lobes encroaching on the Dalton Highway in the southern Brooks Range in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks; Assessing the landslide and tsunami hazards in the upper Barry Arm with multiple state, federal, private and university entities. rebound are important mechanisms that can trigger devastating landslides. Photo from U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey archives. Recent DGGS projects have assessed geotechnical characteristics relating to a landslide that occurred in September 2012 near the Dalton Highway bridge over the Yukon River; Alaska State Department of Natural Resources had also warned about the situation in May this year as they issued a press release about a possible landslide-triggered tsunami because of the melting glacier. © Alaska Public Media 2020. There is at least one person not accounted for at this time. lobes—that are threatening the highway. Landslides in Alaska. federal government agencies, and the general public. “This is like the first flood that I’ve been a part of,” Morgan said. Frozen debris lobe FDL-A approaching the Dalton Highway in the southern Brooks Range. Only July 9, 1958, an earthquake triggered a landslide in Lituya Bay, releasing an estimated 40 million cubic yards (30 million cubic meters) of material. On July 25, Stark noted a possible landslide event in southeastern Alaska. The red arrow shows the location of the landslide, and the yellow arrow shows the location of the high point of the wave sweeping over the headland. (Note: The USGS monitoring site on Harbor Mountain should not be confused with the Alaska DNR weather station, also on Harbor Mountain.) His initial analysis of the seismic data suggested the slide occurred in eastern Alaska and had a mass of about 20 million metric tonnes (22 million tons). (Photo courtesy of the Alaska State Library historical collection) The City and Borough of Juneau is warning residents to be prepared in case heavy rains and snowmelt cause landslides … As much as she has her eye on rain and wind, Seibert has her eye on this measurement, which is akin to soil moisture, but relevant to landslides. Potential Landslides and Tsunami Hazards in Glacier Bay, Alaska Release Date: September 30, 2020 USGS landslide scientists recently completed an investigation that provides an initial assessment of areas where landslides could enter the water of Glacier Bay and generate tsunamis. An open letter signed by 14 scientists with expertise in landslides, tsunamis and climate change warns of an unstable mountain slope above the leading edge of the retreating Barry Glacier in Alaska. Planning is underway to reroute the Dalton Highway in the southern Brooks Range due to slow-moving permafrost-related landslides—known as frozen debris Farther south safety concerns at Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park led to a 2017 report in which geologists described 24 landslides they believe were at least in part climate-related. Juneau’s mayor Beth Weldon showed up to help, too. On May 14, an Alaska Department of Natural Resources press release and a public letter from 14 scientists warned locals of a possible landslide-generated tsunami. “In Taan Fiord (Icy Bay, Alaska), a … … It’s just wet and crazy,” he said with a laugh. Many coastal areas in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska are susceptible to tsunamis generated by landslides, and history records several such events, including the 1958 Lituya Bay and the 2015 Taan Fjord tsunamis. No … Sedimentology and geomorphology of a large tsunamigenic landslide, Taan Fiord, Alaska Abstract. There are a number of flood watches and warnings active across the region and even a winter storm warning still in effect for White Pass, which is the only part of the panhandle receiving its precipitation in the form of snow. These include the numerous ground failures that resulted from the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, which were particularly significant in and around Anchorage. Juneau resident Rhett Morgan said about 2-3 inches of water flowed into his garage. Damage from the 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami can be seen in this oblique aerial photograph of Lituya Bay, Alaska as the lighter areas at the shore where trees have been stripped away. “It is well established that Alaska sees large landslides in the spring, and that their increasing size and frequency is driven by global heating,” Petley wrote. 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landslides in alaska

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landslides in alaska 2020