Alaska city issues evacuation orders after landslide leaves 1 dead and 3 injured. Officials worry another slide could strike

(CNN) — A landslide in southern Alaska on Sunday left one person dead and three others injured, and some residents have been ordered to evacuate as officials warn another slide could strike nearby.

Multiple homes, businesses and roadways were significantly damaged when the landslide tore down a hillside in the coastal city of Ketchikan, Alaska, around 4 p.m. Sunday, the city said in a release.

“In my 65 years in Ketchikan, I have never seen a slide of this magnitude,” Ketchikan Mayor Dave Kiffer said. “The loss of life that we have encountered is heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to those who lost their homes,” he added.

In addition to the person killed, three people were taken to a hospital with injuries, the city said in an update. One was treated and released, while the other two were admitted.

All residents have been accounted for, the city noted.

But some residents in the area were ordered to evacuate Sunday as city officials grew concerned another landslide could be triggered south of the initial slide.

The landslide is attributed to heavy rainfall, according to the National Weather Service in Juneau. Between 5 and 9 inches of rain fell in the higher elevations of the Ketchikan Range over the span of about 30 hours, the weather service said. The Ketchikan airport received 2.5 inches over the same timespan. Ketchikan’s average rainfall for the entire month of August is typically 8 inches.

Significant downpours are waning, though some light to moderate showers could still affect the region through Monday afternoon, the weather service said.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster emergency declaration for Ketchikan, saying in a post on X, “all state agencies are directed to provide whatever assistance is needed.

“My thoughts and prayers are with residents of Ketchikan tonight,” the governor added.

Emergency shelter is available at a local high school and response crews are standing by in case another slide strikes, the city said.

Kiffer, the city mayor, and Rodney Dial, the borough mayor, also issued a joint local disaster emergency declaration Sunday.

“As we work through this, please keep the affected families in your prayers and know we will do everything we can to recover from this event as quickly as possible and help those in need. We sincerely appreciate the first responders, medical personnel, volunteers, businesses and others offering assistance,” Dial said.

The slide sent a dense wave of snapped trees, toppled power poles and dirt crashing into a row of hillside homes. Images shared by the city show a wall of debris crashed against the side of several homes.

Power, phone and internet outages occurred in the area, according to local utility KPU Electric. The city warned of lines on the ground immediately after the slide.

Though service had been restored to many homes and businesses by Sunday night, at least six power poles still could not be repaired safely, KPU said in an update.

Photos shared by the utility showed a road blocked by a tangle of downed trees and what appears to be a power pole.

KPU Customer Service and City Hall offices will be closed Monday due to the slide, the city said in a Facebook post.

Residents are also likely to experience traffic delays as multiple roads are closed near the evacuation area, the city said in another post.

Alaska is on the front lines of climate change, facing a rapidly changing climate as it is warming more than twice as fast as the planet as a whole, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Thinning glaciers, melting permafrost, warming oceans and less sea ice make it a frequent victim of floods and landslides.

Ketchikan, with a population of about 14,000, is nestled along the southern portion of Alaska’s Inside Passage – a water route famed for its stunning landscapes, fjords and glaciers. The city claims to be the salmon capital of the world.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Brandon Miller, Jillian Sykes and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.

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