Communities across the Southern Panhandle sustained severe damage to infrastructure from the same weather system that triggered a fatal landslide in Wrangell last week. Landslides and washouts rocked Coffman Cove, a small community on the north end of Prince of Wales Island.
The community has not reported any injuries or fatalities, but the slides caused severe infrastructural damage. In response, Governor Dunleavy added the Coffman Cove to the state’s disaster declaration on November 27th.
Coffman Cove sustained widespread flooding and multiple landslides, which damaged several culverts and at least one major road. Fifteen families were cut off from town for about a week when a landslide spilled over the highway.
Perry Olsen sits on Coffman Cove’s city council. He detailed the damage on an online community forum on November 26th. In the post, Olson said he’d received reports that there are at least two washouts inside the city limits, as well as several landslides further out of town, on federal land. John Mulcare is Coffman Cove’s mayor. He said the community is holding up well, in spite of the damage.
“We live out in the middle of Alaska, we are pretty self-sufficient,” said Mulcare. “I’d like to say our thoughts and prayers go out to the folks in Wrangell, because they had a lot tougher time than we did.”
Though the debris blocking the main road is mostly clear, and those families can safely make their way into town again, Mulcare said Coffman Cove has a long way to go. And they don’t have a good timeline as to when the state will be able to repair the damage.
“We’re going to have to wait and see what the disaster declaration does for us and in terms of repairing that,” said Mulcare. “My understanding is that now that we’ve got the initial stuff out of the way, they’ll come in and do an assessment and see what we are eligible for.”
Jeremy Zidek is a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security. He said, around the time Governor Mike Dunleavy declared the initial disaster event, his division started to receive word that there were other, non-fatal landslides across the region.
He said he received reports that the communities of Hydaburg, Ward Cove, Craig and Klawock in Southern Southeast took damage from landslides. But on Prince of Wales Island, Coffman Cove bore the brunt of the destruction.
“Southeast saw conditions that really led to multiple landslides in a lot of different areas,” said Zidek. “In Coffman Cove, we’ve received reports that roads and culverts had been damaged by the disaster event.”
Now, residents of both Wrangell and Coffman Cove are eligible for several public assistance programs for landslide damage. Zidek said, so far, they’re mostly being called to assist Coffman Cove residents with damage to public property.
“The public assistance can address damages to roads, and culverts, bridges, utilities and other critical infrastructure that [were] damaged,” said Zidek.
Those who experienced damage to personal property, or who were displaced are also eligible for state assistance. The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is currently accepting applications for the State Individual Assistance and Temporary Housing programs.
Disaster survivors from Wrangell and Coffman Cove can register for the State Individual Assistance online at READY-dot-ALASKA-dot-GOV, or by calling 1-844-445-7131.
