Flood Watch: Butte residents between Mile 13-15 advised to evacuate

BUTTE — For nearly two years, Amir Lena has watched as a slow-moving disaster has eroded his savings and swept away his family’s business and plans for the future.

The water ponding behind the Lenas’ home at Mile 14, Old Glenn Highway, began to rise Saturday night and continued to rush in as rain fell throughout the day Sunday.

“It’s very close to getting my chickens wet,” Lena said of the 100 chickens and about 150 vehicles he has on the 21-acre lot that also houses his auto restoration business. “The way the river is grinding the dike, I don’t think it’s going to hold.”

Lena said he watched Monday as the river gnawed away 20 feet of his land in about two hours. By that afternoon, only about two feet of land remained between a row of trees at the back of his property and ravenous river.

“This is the end of life for our neighborhood,” he said. “There is no more hope.”

Monday evening Butte Fire Department volunteers notified people door-to-door in the 18 homes along the two-mile stretch of highway that it was dangerous to remain in the area. A Red Cross Shelter was set up at the former Palmer Senior Center location for up to 30 people and some pets.

Lena said he’s already seen $150,000 of his personal savings swept away since 2012 in his fight against the river. Monday evening he said he had no plans to evacuate. He said he planned to stay and fight to save his home and business.

Mat-Su Borough emergency manager Casey Cook said the Matanuska River crested Monday afternoon, but another peak was expected around 1 p.m., Tuesday. And more rain is to be expected through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

Early Monday afternoon Cook posted a note urging people from Mile 13 to 15, Old Glenn to have an evacuation plan in case of flooding. A few hours later, firefighters were knocking on doors notifying area residents of the possibility that the river could breach the dike, causing water levels to rise quickly.

Cook said he planned to meet with borough staff and other officials Tuesday to regroup.

“We’re just going to kind of lay our cards out on the table and see what — if anything — the borough can do,” he said.

Options include things like providing sandbags or other help, Cook said.

Flooding and erosion in the area has been a problem for many years, but got serious in 2012 when the river started boring a new channel, and flooding then claimed a couple of houses. Since then the river has periodically flooded homes in the summer and the winter. The area most acutely affected sits between the river and the Old Glenn Highway along a two-mile stretch.

The borough has received money from the state Legislature to address the issue, but has so far come up short in looking for possible solutions.

Meanwhile, Cook said he has some money to work on an application to a federal program that could potentially buy out affected homeowners. The borough would have to compete with other program applicants. Homeowners would be free to back out whenever they like, Cook said.

“We’ve got letters that are going out today to all the property owners along that section, and once we get those back to make sure that people are still interested in that option, then we will move forward in starting the application process of what we can do now for that application process,” he said.

But before folks can consider this long-term plan, there is this new round of flooding and erosion they must confront.

A Red Cross shelter was set up at the old Palmer Senior Center Monday evening for people and pets who chose to evacuate.

For Lena, watching the water rise recalled memories of the 2012 flood that destroyed 29 vehicles he bought to repair and resell, he said.

Already the pond behind his house was full of river water and the puddles in the yard were growing, too. Lena said he expected the river to arrive at his door overnight Monday.

He said he wasn’t hopeful the sand bags he had prepared would be enough to keep the water out of his garage and home.

People from various borough, state and federal groups have been out to look at the erosion and flooding problems that have plagued the neighborhood for the past two years, but so far, no one has done anything, Lena said.

“When it comes for the highway they will care,” he said. “They will send trucks and workers.”

Watching as more water flowed into the sodden pond behind his house Monday Lena said it was the end of hope for his family and his neighbors.

“Nobody cares,” he said. “We can’t fight anymore.”