Moosey: 'Never seen a winter storm this bad.'

“I’ve never seen a winter storm this bad. This is equal to the 2018 earthquake in terms of impacts on people,” Palmer city manager John Moosey said Monday morning after cold and winds tore through the Mat-Su Valley on Sunday.

The worst thing is knowing when it might end. “We were told the winds would die down by 6 a.m. Monday and now they’re saying 6 p.m.,” he said. The cold temperature combined with wind makes for a very dangerous chill factor.

Winds reached 85 miles per hour in downtown Palmer, Moosey had a report, which was unconfirmed, that the wind-speed gauge at the local weather center blew out.

There was damage at Palmer’s airport to aircraft that weren’t secured properly but Moosey has yet to receive a report on damage to airport facilities. Some damage was reported at city public event facilities and to the city-owner water storage tower, but water storage is still secure.

The city’s major concern is on homes being without power and heat for extended periods, which may encourage people to take unsafe measures such as moving propane heaters indoors.

Another concern, once the storm abates, is finding enough plumbers and other skilled people to repair broken pipes and other damage, especially given the already existing shortage of skilled labor.

“Now we’ll be competing with everyone else,” to get repairs made,” Moosey said.