27 January 2014

Valdez Still Cut Off; More Avalanches Feared




State transportation officials said Sunday it will be at least Tuesday before avalanche debris can be cleared from the Richardson Highway outside Valdez.

Valdez city officials, meanwhile, warned residents to prepare for the road to be closed a week or longer.

The town of 4,000 has been cut off since Friday, when avalanches hundreds of feet long and up to 30 to 40 feet deep blocked the highway, which links the Valdez to the rest of the state's road system.
On Saturday, an even bigger avalanche further entombed the highway in a jumble of snow, ice, rock and water, officials said.

The Alaska Department of Transportation closed a 50-mile stretch of the highway starting 12 miles out of Valdez and ending north of Thompson Pass.

14 comments:

PioneerPreppy said...

Now wait. Haven't you been linking to stuff complaining about there not being any snow up there? You Alaskan's are just never happy :)

Rev. Paul said...

Heh. The melting snow has loosened the snowpack in higher elevations, causing frequent avalanches. So ... same syndrome, different symptom. :)

Murphy's Law said...

I enjoyed my night in Valdez a few years ago. It was another one of those quaint Alaskan towns with more bars than I get to in a night. (Yeah, I was practicing for my "must do" trip to Unalaska).

ProudHillbilly said...

I'm guessing that because it's Alaska this is viewed as more of a nuisance that an immediate emergency to individuals in Valdez. "Be prepared" is probably more than a scout motto in Alaska.

Rev. Paul said...

That's true; Valdez has an airport & is a seaport. Plenty of means to supply the town. Those who love driving the long road up through the mountains will be disappointed, but no one will starve.

It's said there are two basic types in Alaska: newbies, and the prepared. Alaskans will usually help a newbie who's caught short by an unexpected mishap/disaster once. Then we darned well expect them to be prepared NEXT time. If not, it's their own fault. After all, we told them last time, right? :)

Rev. Paul said...

It's one of those port cities that serves a large transient group: oil company/pipeline workers, fisherman, and some tourists. I have to admit the bars don't do much for me.

Murphy's Law said...

I'm not much for the drinking, but when I get to places like Valdez, I find a bar or three and just spend some time nursing a beer and taking in the goings-on around me. Great way to get a picture of a place. And yep--I found a fisherman bar, an oil worker bar and one that catered to tourists and other "civilized" folks. I enjoyed the first two more.

Rev. Paul said...

I understand the people-watching aspect. And this will probably get me some more hateful e-mails, but I'm not against drinking, per se. If wine were sinful, Jesus wouldn't have turned water into wine at a marriage party. It's drinking-to-excess that the Bible condemns.

So nursing a beer isn't bad, and I wasn't trying to say anything about your visiting the bars. :) Moderation in all things, etc etc.

Stephen said...

On the drinking issue - I've gone round after round on drinking with my mother-in-law, she the Baptist. It's like talking to a fence post. I agree with you. Now, on the snow...where's all those dog teams.

Rev. Paul said...

The snow that slid down the mountains onto the roadway is too soft, porous, and lumpy to permit sled travel. Otherwise, it'd be a good idea.

And I grew up Southern Baptist: you could find those churches blindfolded, if you'd walk there bare-footed. When you get to the smoldering cigarette butts, you're there. (and yes, I'm saying that with love for my former brethren in the Baptist denomination. Let the hate e-mails commence.)

Murphy's Law said...

I didn't think you were. And I do like to sample the local beers. But having lived in New Orleans' French Quarter once, I'm also mindful of the trouble that a stranger in some towns can get into if he drinks too much. Moderation for sure; have a good time but always stay sharp.

Rev. Paul said...

That's true, too. Having said all that, then, when are you coming back to AK?

Cathy said...

OK. THAT is scary.

Rev. Paul said...

Avalanches are the mountains' way of reminding us that we're a pretty small part of nature, in that regard. Very scary indeed.