A mudslide damaged a residence on Douglas Island, between Lawson Creek and Homestead Park, after a water leak reportedly caused a retaining wall to fail on Wednesday.
The slide occurred on the downhill slope in the 2500 block of Douglas Highway, taking out the retaining wall and pushing a small shed down toward the house, CBJ Emergency Program Manager Tom Mattice said.
“It’s no longer stable,” Mattice said by phone, adding that the mudslide pushed in two walls of the residence, which was vacant and for sale. “It’s uninhabitable at this point.”
The water and power was cut off due to safety concerns, he noted.
Workers from Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities will put in a temporary retaining wall, Mattice said. The mudslide was largely confined to the one property, leaving the neighboring residence in no apparent danger.
