At least 1 dead, 'multiple' people missing after landslide hits homes near Wrangell

Nov. 21—A landslide near the Southeast Alaska city of Wrangell has killed at least one person and left numerous others missing, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Responders at the site of the slide, which occurred just before 9 p.m. Monday, determined that three single-family homes were "directly in the path of the landslide," troopers said in an update Tuesday.

An immediate search revealed the body of one person, they said. "Multiple individuals are believed to have been within the slide area when the landslide occurred and are believed to be missing."

The slide closed the Zimovia Highway at 11 Mile and drew a multiagency emergency response, including the local search and rescue team, the city said in a Facebook post.

Several inches of rain has fallen in Wrangell in the past few days.

The slide is estimated to be 450 feet wide where it crossed the road, with a significant debris field, according to state transportation officials. People in Wrangell were asked to avoid the area.

The landslide made the highway impassable and cut off access and power to approximately 75 homes, state officails say. Troopers instructed anyone living between Mile 11 and the end of the pavement to evacuate into Wrangell and warned residents not to enter the area of the slide, which remained active through the night. Additional landslides were possible, they said.

Water taxis were available to ferry people on the south end of the road out of the area, troopers said.

Search and rescue workers didn't get a clear picture of the extent of the slide until after first light, local officials said. Sunrise in Wrangell was just before 7:45 a.m.

A state geologist was expected to charter a flight to the area Tuesday to assess the stability of the slide. The slide area was too dangerous to enter directly, local officials said.

By midmorning, troopers said additional search efforts had been paused though crews may use planes, helicopters or drones to help gauge the extent of the slide. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is bringing in additional personnel and drone equipment on a chartered aircraft from Juneau, they said.

Through the night, Wrangell's search and rescue team was working with troopers, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Forest Service as well as local contractors, city staff and state transportation officials to sift through debris until a large-scale search and rescue effort could be possible, city officials said.

The site was "extremely hazardous and unstable," officials said in a 3:45 a.m. post.

A troopers spokesman said that agency was preparing an update Monday morning but had no immediate information to share.

KSTK public radio in Wrangell reported the slide knocked out power to some areas.

Judy Guggenbickler, a lifelong Wrangell resident, said she started to think about landslides on Monday before the disaster occurred. Relentless rain had been pounding the town all day.

Then word of the landslide, and missing families in its path, trickled out through Wrangell's tight community of about 2,000 people.

On Tuesday, the community was reeling, she said. Information is still coming in about missing people in the slide area. People are grieving and shocked, she said. Communication has been difficult, with landlines not working and cellphones in some areas also cut off.

The situation feels surreal, she said. "It's a living nightmare."

Wrangell residents are banding together to help people evacuated from their homes, with water taxis shuttling people who live on the other side of the landslide to town and temporary shelter available, Guggenbickler said.

"We're just going to take care of ourselves and see what we can do to help," she said.

It was still raining Tuesday in Wrangell.

The community center and pool were opened to the public Tuesday to provide showers, a kitchen and a warm, dry place for community members, Wrangell Parks and Recreation said in a Facebook post.

"Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts are with those suffering due to last night's events," department director Lucy Robinson wrote in the post.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy's office said he issued a verbal disaster declaration Tuesday morning for Wrangell.

"Rose and I are heartbroken by this disaster and we pray for the safety of all those on site and offer all the resources our state has available," Dunleavy said in a statement.

Unusually heavy rains in December 2020 triggered a massive landslide in the Southeast Alaska community of Haines. Two residents were presumed dead after the 600-foot slide buried their homes in mud and debris.

In August 2015, heavy rain caused six landslides and at least one sinkhole in the Southeast Alaska town of Sitka, leaving three people dead.

Anyone with information about someone who's currently missing is asked to call the Wrangell Police Department at 907-874-3304 to file a missing persons report.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.