Residents in Willow area evacuated following Willow Creek flood

Residents in the Willow area were evacuated Saturday night after Willow Creek flooded a subdivision. The Mat-Su Borough has declared an emergency after sustaining “severe threats to life and property from ice jam flooding in the Willow Creek area. With the disaster declaration from the office of Borough manager John Moosey and Manager Vern Halter on Monday at noon, the Borough is requesting state assistance from Governor Dunleavy.

“The severity and magnitude of the flooding emergency is beyond the timely effectiveness response capability of the local resources, and has hampered the ability to obtain and maintain situational awareness related to damages,” reads the press release from the borough.

3 p.m., Dec. 22 updateThe Mat-Su Borough Department of Emergency Services are asking residents that live on the North side of the Deneki Bridge in Willow to evacuate now if they need to do so.

“The bridge will be impassable to vehicle traffic for the next few days until the situation stabilizes or mechanical work can be completed to clear the water off the roads,” said DES Director Ken Barkley.

The Mat-Su Borough Department of Emergency Services responded to the Friday Subdivision at about 11 p.m. Saturday. Residents living in the area west of the Deneki Bridge were forced to evacuate, according to borough officials. The American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Willow Community Center. No injuries have been reported, according to the borough. The Willow Fire Department, Alaska State Troopers and Mat-Su Water Rescue responded. A dam in the the willow river is causing the water to exit to the lower elevation areas which happen to be the only road in and out of the Willow subdivision. Mat-Su Borough Department of Emergency Services Director Ken Barkley said that the DES is concerned with families living in six homes in the area, three of which have already been evacuated.

“Three are sheltering in place so far. We are making contact with them right now letting them know it would be much easier and safer to get them out now,” said Barkley.

With little recourse to reroute the flooded river, Barkley said that Borough officials are looking at alternative access points to get in and out of the neighborhood.

This is a developing story. Continue to see frontiersman.com for more.

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