Helicopter rescue, washed-out roads: After flooding displaces 80 people, Kotzebue begins recovery

Eighty people evacuated, several homes were damaged and critical infrastructure became non-operational in Kotzebue when a fall storm brought a severe flood Tuesday, local officials said. After the storm’s destruction, local agencies were providing evacuees with essentials and assessing damage Wednesday.

The flooding also left three people stranded on the roof of a fish camp cabin, prompting a helicopter rescue Wednesday, Alaska State Troopers said.

A storm that arrived in the region over the weekend intensified Tuesday and brought up to 5 feet of water to some areas in town, City of Kotzebue officials said. At least one home collapsed into Kotzebue Sound, the boat harbor was destroyed, the North Tent City fish camp collapsed and several roads were washed away, including those near the Crowley Dock and the first and second bridges, city officials said in a statement. With both runways underwater, the Ralph Wien Memorial Airport was closed for nearly two days, city officials said.

A total of 80 individuals were evacuated due to storm impacts, 60 of them sheltering at the Kotzebue High School gymnasium, 10 housed at the Kotzebue Electric Association and 10 at Maniilaq Health Center, city officials said.

“All evacuees are receiving food, bedding and other essential supplies, thanks to the combined efforts of local businesses and organizations,” city officials said.

A man and two children who were stranded about 15 miles north of Kotzebue at a cabin at a fish camp were rescued Wednesday, according to an online report from troopers. Poor visibility, strong winds and high surf had hindered responders’ ability to reach them Tuesday afternoon, and the trio spent the night on the roof, covered by a tarp, after their cabin flooded and their boat floated away, troopers said.

A Red Dog Mine employee on an A-Star helicopter from Pathfinder Aviation was able to reach the group Wednesday and brought them to safety in Kotzebue, troopers said. They didn’t need medical attention, according to troopers.

In town on Tuesday night, water levels kept rising until around midnight, said Northwest Arctic Borough Mayor Dickie Moto. A flood of this scale hasn’t happened in Kotzebue since 1991, he said.

“Last night was the first time that water has breached the seawall,” City Mayor Derek Haviland Lie said.

The conditions worsened “shockingly fast” on Tuesday, and only the highest points in town — including the town center — remained mostly unaffected, resident Samantha Campbell said.

“The elders around town have been expressing that they’ve never seen the water come up this high in all the years they’ve lived here,” Campbell said. “It’s been a humbling and frightening past 24 hours!”

Local responders and good Samaritans were using loaders to help residents evacuate, said Moto, who operated one of the loaders.

“We were busy relocating residents after midnight,” he said.

Alice Sheldon was among those who evacuated. She said that she, her husband and son first wanted to wait out the storm, but the water was getting dangerously close to their house. At about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, loader operator David Kelsey and his son Robert Kelsey, who were evacuating their own family across the street, agreed to help the Sheldons, whose deck by then was getting submerged.

“Thankful for our community that in tough times we come together,” Robert Kelsey said.

While local authorities were still assessing the scope of the damage from the flood, Moto said that multiple homes were taken off foundations or fell to the ground.

“We have a couple more that’s gonna fall,” Moto said.

Moto added that the local water and sewer system was inundated with water.

“Everything was underwater,” he said.

With ice and water on runways and water reaching inside the airline buildings, the airport was inaccessible for more than 48 hours, city officials said. The first flight landed in town at about 5 p.m. Wednesday, Haviland Lie said.

After the city’s emergency declaration, the Northwest Arctic Borough and Gov. Mike Dunleavy also declared an emergency on Tuesday. The Red Cross was expected to arrive in Kotzebue on Thursday to assist with further relief efforts, city officials said.

On Wednesday, the city was documenting the needs of the evacuees. The shelter at the gym was going to be available for as long as needed, Haviland Lie said. For longer-term housing, especially for elders and children, local and state authorities were working with Brice Construction, which owns a man camp locally, Haviland Lie said.

The city was hiring more laborers to assist with the cleanup of streets and public spaces.

Local businesses and organizations aided in the response, with Little Louie’s donating pizzas and NANA Corp. and the borough school district contributing bedding for evacuees, city officials said.

The offices for the city and the Native Village of Kotzebue were closed Wednesday. School and all after-school activities were canceled.

Among other low-lying coastal Northwest Alaska villages, Kivalina bore well during the storm, but several Deering residents needed to evacuate due to erosion, Moto said.

The storm also damaged roadways and brought debris in Norton Sound villages including Gambell, Shaktoolik, Teller, Shishmaref and Nome, said Mark Roberts, incident commander for Alaska’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Residents in none of these locations needed evacuation or sheltering, he said.