Update: Friday, 12:45 p.m.
Hundreds of individuals are affected by high avalanche risk on all known slide paths on Mount Juneau and Mount Douglas. Downtown residents under known slide paths are urged to evacuate immediately, and Thane residents are being encouraged to shelter in place.
CBJ, with Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the National Weather Service and Tlingit & Haida, held a briefing Friday at 11:30 a.m. to address the avalanche risk.
CBJ emphasized residents should sign up for emergency alerts to stay informed.
Downtown residents in slide zone advised to evacuate
CBJ Avalanche Adviser John Bressette said multiple small avalanches have occurred on the side of Mount Juneau on Friday.
Under CBJ’s “Ready, Set, Go” framework for emergency alerts, the risk for downtown avalanche exposed areas is now “Go.”
The best way for individuals to know if they are at risk is to enter their address into the CBJ’s downtown avalanche hazard map, according to Ryan O’Shaughnessy, CBJ’s emergency programs manager
“Now is the time to evacuate,” O’Shaughnessy said. “Now is not the time to clear your room. Now is not the time to make final preparations. Now is the time to evacuate and leave your home.”
Residents in the slide zone who are unable to evacuate on their own should call 911. Anyone with questions about the evacuation order should contact the CBJ’s emergency programs office at (907) 586-0371 rather than contacting the police.
Bressette said the city’s main concern is that the increased rainfall could trigger a much larger avalanche.
It’s unlikely that safety officials will intentionally trigger controlled avalanches on Mount Juneau, O’Shaughnessy said, citing a 2011 study of Mount Juneau’s avalanche paths which found that intentionally triggering slides would put life, safety and property at risk.
Downtown resident Chelsea Copley said her go bag contains supplies for her and her cat to stay at her friends’ houses for a few days. She packed a portable litter box, food, handwarmers, a sleeping bag and warm clothes.
“I’m usually pretty on top of looking at hazard levels, so I did sign up for text alerts for my address about a week ago and those have been helpful to be in the know,” Copley said.
Thane Road could remain closed for days
ADOT&PF closed Thane Road at the avalanche gates at noon Friday.
Vicky Roberts with the DOT&PF said Thane Road could remain closed at the avalanche gates for several days. Residential areas of Thane are not under known avalanche risk.
CBJ officials said the city is partnering with the Coast Guard to coordinate potential emergency transportation responses while the highway is closed.
Thane resident Bailey Williams said she’s prepared to stay in her dry cabin for up to three weeks. She stocked up on fresh water, library books and food for herself and her dog.
“I feel like I was following the weather and had come to the same conclusion — I am not driving under the chute during the rain / warm weather after that storm — so I was prepared to hole up at home before the City announced the road closure,” Williams said. “To some degree it feels like I’m just learning how to listen both to the actual conditions in my neighborhood and the DOT’s response.”
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Original story, Friday, 11:30 a.m.
The City and Borough of Juneau has issued an evacuation advisory for downtown avalanche exposed areas Friday at 10:50 a.m. Emergency shelter will be available at Centennial Hall by noon.
CBJ, with ADOT&PF, the National Weather Service and Tlingit & Haida, is scheduled to host a media briefing Friday at 11:30 a.m. to address the hazardous weather and the avalanche evacuation advisory. The briefing will be streamed on CBJ’s Youtube page.
Residents can monitor the current hazard levels on the CBJ emergency advisory page. CBJ officials say signing up for emergency alerts is the best way to stay informed.
“The potential for avalanches in all known slide paths continues to increase quickly,” the CBJ evacuation advisory said. “Avalanches are very likely due to increased snowfall, warmer temperatures and several inches of rain anticipated at high elevations.”
Alaska DOT&PF will close Thane Road at the avalanche gates Friday at noon, due to high avalanche risk over the roadway. CBJ says that Thane residents should be prepared for an extended road closure, but the closure will be re-evaluated at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10.
“This evacuation advisory is made with the safety of Juneau residents in mind,” the CBJ advisory said. “This decision is not made lightly and CBJ realizes that evacuating under extreme weather conditions may be difficult. Again, the safety of Juneau residents is our main factor in making this evacuation advisory.”
