Governor pledges to help with flood recovery

August 20, 2006

By Michael Rovito

Frontiersman

In a packed room at the Central Mat-Su Fire Department station Saturday afternoon, Gov. Frank Murkowski assured Borough Mayor Tim Anderson the state will do everything necessary to help the Valley recover from recent flooding, which has affected areas from Talkeetna to Houston.

The cost for the emergency response is estimated at $50,000 so far, borough officials said, and could reach $75,000 to $100,000.

Damage estimates for the area have not yet been tallied, as reports of flood related destruction continue to pour in.

Alaska State Troopers, along with extra emergency response teams, are prepared to be deployed in the event a rescue is needed.

So far, however, the need for help has been minimal, according to Jack Krill, Central Mat-Su fire chief.

Krill said that, since many people were aware of and prepared for the rising water, ambulance calls actually have been less than usual in the Valley. Krill also said the speed of the flooding surprised many in the borough.

&#8220The water came up faster than we anticipated,” he said.

Most flooded rivers in the Valley have crested, according to emergency officials, and the next step for the borough is clean-up and damage

assessment.

Anderson, speaking in front of Murkowski and other emergency responders, asked for Department of Transportation personnel to assess damage on bridges that have been inundated by flood waters.

DOT employees were out in many of the affected areas as the mayor spoke, already assisting with road damage.

The mayor also said state money is needed for supplies and equipment, as well as help to pay for the emergency response that has taken place.

A command center at the fire station, running fully staffed Saturday, was busy keeping logistical and communication necessities coordinated.

New damage from the flood continued as rivers and creeks reached their cresting point overnight Friday into Saturday.

A bridge on Moose Meadows Road over a tributary to the Little Susitna River washed out Saturday after the water continued to rise rapidly.

In a slide show presentation, Krill showed the bridge on Friday as completely dry, but by Saturday morning, the rushing water had washed out one of the bridge's easements, stranding residents of about eight homes on the other side.

Up the Parks Highway, which is closed at Mile 121 going north, about 160 people are stranded in the Princess Lodge awaiting the reopening of the road and the Alaska Railroad.

The railway will be closed from Mile 252 to 255 because of washouts and buried rail, according to Tim Thompson, an external affairs manager with the railroad.

Train service is expected to resume Sunday night or Monday morning, Thompson said.

At the close of the news conference, Murkowski headed to a waiting car, driving north to Houston to survey the area.

Murkowski said he is ready to activate the National Guard if necessary, saying the Guard will bring in helicopters to pick stranded residents out of flooded areas if necessary.

Mayor Anderson thanked the governor for the offer, but said evacuations and Red Cross shelters already have moved most people from danger.

The National Weather Service is predicting another rain system to move through the area, but it is not predicted to drop a significant amount of rain.

Contact Michael Rovito at 352-2252 or michael.rovito@

frontiersman.com