Damage numbers trickle in as borough assesses flooding impact

PALMER — During an emergency meeting Monday night the Mat-Su Borough Assembly voted to extend a disaster declaration made last week through Saturday.

Also at the meeting, officials running the disaster response gave an update of the situation on the ground. The presentation contained some preliminary figures with promises of more to come shortly.

“Just about every major creek and river in the borough was in some kind of flood stage,” said borough emergency services director Dennis Brodigan.

The flooding prompted 50 evacuations. Four shelters opened in the borough — one in Willow, one in Sunshine and one in Wasilla, plus the Alaska State Fairgrounds also were opened for RVs in Palmer.

“We had at least three structures lost to waterways,” Brodigan said, but as of Monday night crews were still out assessing damage. “I’m sure that number will rise.”

Borough Public Works Director Shaune O’Neill said her crews were out assessing roads, seeing which ones need repair. The goal is to get them fixed before freeze-up. Some seem more likely to meet that goal than others. Of particular concern is Shirley Towne Drive, which has a gaping hole where a bridge washed out.

Borough Manager John Moosey said that eventually there will be a place people can go to get help from the state.

“It’s going to take a few days,” he said.

As of 6 p.m., Monday there were 13 roads closed in the borough. That’s down significantly from the flood’s peak road closures.

“At one time we had 40,” Brodigan said.

And, as of Monday, the borough had spent $496,000 responding to the flooding.

Moosey said that he believes the state or the federal government will refund those costs. When the borough flooded in 2006 the cost to borough government ended up being only $100,000.

Borough Mayor Larry DeVilbiss asked why the borough didn’t call out the National Guard.

Lakes District Assistant Chief Steve Barenburg said that the borough actually considered calling out the guard. It came up in a morning meeting but by that time it appeared the flood waters were receding.

O’Neill said the state’s Division of Homeland Security told her the national guard was only used when it looked like local resources wouldn’t be able to handle the disaster. There wasn’t a point in this disaster where that was the case.

Though individual assembly members had some concerns — Warren Keogh announced he’d be seeking legislation requiring the borough to keep at least $2 million in its emergency fund, which he said has gotten disconcertingly low over the past few budget cycles — every assembly member present praised the response.

“Everybody was very impressed and that’s not always the case with the Mat-Su Borough in Talkeetna,” Assemblyman Vern Halter said of the feeling in his district.

Noel Woods said the flooding was unprecedented.

“In 67 years I’ve never seen such a flood in every river in this borough,” he said.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.