As of today, the city with the highest population in Alaska is still in the process of recuperating from the hurricane-force winds that struck houses and infrastructure on Sunday.
These gusts caused thousands of people to lose electricity and sustained substantial damage.
At the height of the storm that was affecting the area around Anchorage on Sunday, about 17,500 houses were without electricity. By Tuesday morning, the number of homes without electricity had decreased to less than $2,000.
“We recognize some members have been without power for many hours,” Chugach Electric stated in a social media update. “Our crews will continue to work as safely and quickly as they can until all are restored.”
A considerable impact was felt throughout the city as a result of the catastrophic weather event.
During the storm, trees were brought down, schools were forced to close, and the Rabbit Creek Pedestrian Bridge along the Seward Highway was partially destroyed. This was in addition to the severe power outages that occurred.
Wind gusts that reached an astounding 129 miles per hour were recorded at the Sunburst Ridgetop weather station, which is located on the Turnagain Pass Ridgeline, according to the National Weather Service in Anchorage.
Residents in Anchorage, such as Raven McCormac, were able to witness the ferocity of the natural disaster firsthand.
“The house is shaking,” she posted on Facebook, along with a video of the windstorm that was occurring.
According to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the Rabbit Creek Pedestrian Bridge along Seward Highway is believed to have been damaged as a result of the severe winds that occurred during the storm.
Despite the fact that the steel frame of the bridge has not been damaged, the officials have stated that the roof and the fencing that surrounded it have collapsed onto the roadway below. Since that time, the highway has been reopened, and bridge experts are keeping a tight eye on the evolving situation.
Some schools in other districts in south-central Alaska were also reported to be closed on Monday, in addition to the schools that remained closed in Anchorage.
“Although our crews have worked through the night, we continue to have schools without power, dangerous and unsafe parking lots due to extremely slick conditions, and maintenance issues within schools that have to be addressed,” the Anchorage School District stated Monday morning.
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In response to more than 200 complaints regarding wind-related incidents that occurred on Sunday, the Anchorage Fire Department dispatched at least one fire engine or other apparatus to each of the incidents.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, the department received almost 500 calls in total, which is about twice as much as the frequency of calls it receives on a daily basis.
Because of the storm, aviation transport was also impacted.
Due to the severe winds that occurred on Sunday, more than a dozen planes, including two flights from Alaska Airlines and one flight from Delta, were rerouted from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to Fairbanks, according to the newspaper.
In addition to that, there were military aircraft and nine freight planes involved in this.
