Rockfall along the Seward Highway near Beluga Point has been happening since wind and rain battered the area earlier this week.
“It was a beautiful event that we were lucky to have survived,” Andrew Hooper said.
DES MOINES, Wash. - Drier weather on Wednesday helped to lessen the landslide threat across Western Washington, but another system will be moving in later in the week, increasing the threat by Friday.
The highway closed after rocks covered the northbound lane at mile 111, near McHugh Creek. A second rock slide was reported near mile 106.5.
Authorities warned that drivers should use caution in the area due to the potential for additional rockslides.
Jeffrey Cheng, 33, died in the slide. One of his friends managed to hold on to a tree as waves of avalanche debris washed over his head. The third member of their group wasn’t caught.
Temperatures in the area were unseasonably high last week, reaching into the mid-40s, according to the National Weather Service. Then temperatures dropped below freezing Sunday and into Monday morning. "There's a lot of water flowing underground in this area," McCarthy said. The freeze-thaw "caused some instability and that made it slide."
Class 2 avalanche in Hatcher Pass closed down a section of the road between Mile 14 and 16. The nonprofit Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center warned that conditions in the area were dangerous and asked that people avoid the Archangel Road trail nearby.
No one was hurt when a slab avalanche buried one child and partially buried two others.
The avalanche north of Girdwood affected three lanes of traffic for several hours. Delays are expected Tuesday morning as crews attempt to thwart additional slides.
State transportation workers found wet ground may have contributed to the small landslide, despite the lack of recent rain.
At least 36 ships will skip scheduled stops in Skagway this summer because the cruise dock closed after a landslide sent debris toppling from the mountain above.
“This has been a very trying time,” mother Tanisha Charles said. “You don’t prepare for this. You think of fires, you think of earthquakes, but you never think of a mudslide in the middle of town.”
The avalanche came after two days of heavy snow followed by two days of heavy rain. The community had to wait several days before linemen could get to Chignik to repair the damage to its power system.
Tribune News ServiceShimla, August 27 Heavy rain lashed several parts of the state, triggering landslides that blocked 272 roads and disrupting normal life. The Met office has forecast heavy rain in
The consequences of heavy and persistent rainfall continue to impact Costa Rica on Friday, particularly in the canton of Turrialba and on the Caribbean.
Of the 140 unstable slopes along the 92-mile park road, Pretty Rocks has the most potential to disrupt traffic.
About 145 customers in the area were without power on Friday due to damaged equipment, according to Matanuska Electric Association. It’ll likely be at least several days before the road may be cleared.
All Topics
All Countries
Any Date
Apply