Almost lost it all in Alaska last week
A landslide last week in Haines Alaska destroyed my neighbor's house, garage, cabin, woodshed, and outbuildings. All are completely gone as well as a bus and 2 other vehicles. He and another neighbor on the property at the time are missing. My wife and I were very lucky. We only lost 2 boats, a woodshed, driveway, and septic system. The house with the red roof in the picture is ours. We were rescued by a local fishing boat. The Red Cross and Salvation Army have given us a place to stay. We are warm, dry, and well fed. There is really nothing we need. If anyone wants to help our small town, please donate to these fine organizations.
Thank you.
-
0
-
Wow
Your lucky!
0 -
That is some scary stuff! One would think that the tree roots would have protected the ground from sliding. There must have been some very deep undermining (earth quake?) going on. I don't think I would trust that location where your house sets. I live in Michigan and there has been quite a few homes and land lost along the shorelines of the Great Lakes due to high water levels the past few years.
Very glad you and your wife are safe trawler! Prayers sent from here.
0 -
Thanks. We had more than 10 inches of rain over two days. The soil layer that slid averaged about 9 feet thick. There was a crack or crevice that followed along the top of the slide that allowed water to enter the ground. It is still there extending about another 200 feet. You can see part of it in the picture. This presents the threat of another slide.
0 -
0
-
glad your Ok
prayers for the neighbors
had to be scary I can not image the feelings and the losses
0 -
Wow, glad you and your wife are safe.
0 -
WOW
0 -
There have been a lot of landslides all over the world this year. Scary stuff, glad you made it through. Stuff can be replaced.
Joe
0 -
Glad you're OK, Trawler! I'll bet that made one hell of a racket when it let loose.
I wonder if someone will try to salvage any of the timber that went in the water?
If that area below the fissure lets go will it miss your place?
0 -
WOW is an understatement. Glad you and your family are safe.
0 -
Glad you and your wife are okay. Our lives can change or end quick.
0 -
In the blink of an eye. GEEZ US, and your neighbors are lost. Tragic!!
0 -
Were you there when it let loose? If so you must have a good heart.
0 -
Glad you and your Family are safe trawler. Scary stuff right there.
0 -
Stay safe, brother. And watch out for avalanches if you get a heavy snow load, until some trees come back up to hold everything in place.
WOW doesn't begin to say it.
0 -
Prayers asked for all
0 -
I am so very sorry for your loss. You had a beautiful home and, if you return, you will never be able to feel the same way about it.
0 -
Sorry for your loss, and for losing your neighbors.
Can't even imagine.
3 -
gotta wonder about that next chunk that is just hanging there at the top now, if it lets loose will it hit your house??? may be time to move your valuable to a safer location......
0 -
Thanks for your replies. It was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. I would like to move everything out of my house but the driveway is blocked by trees or is missing. The state road is gone, and there is a trooper assigned to keep people out of the area and off the slide. There is no way right now to salvage anything. Plus an interesting thing I learned last week: Homeowners insurance doesn't usually cover any of the loss caused by earthquake or landslide. Better check your policy. For this coverage, a special policy is required at very high cost.
0 -
Prayers sent for all.
0 -
trawler: 31548172497051/comments/31548145198235
Thanks for your replies. It was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. I would like to move everything out of my house but the driveway is blocked by trees or is missing. The state road is gone, and there is a trooper assigned to keep people out of the area and off the slide. There is no way right now to salvage anything. Plus an interesting thing I learned last week: Homeowners insurance doesn't usually cover any of the loss caused by earthquake or landslide. Better check your policy. For this coverage, a special policy is required at very high cost.
Wow..................glad you are ok.
was this site "suspect" for slides before the event?
0 -
Glad you guys are ok. Has to be tough knowing you’d like to move things out of the house but not being able to get to it.
Will it freeze enough to stabilize so you can get back to recover things?
Sorry to hear about the neighbors.
0 -
The geologists finish mapping the slide tomorrow with some type of radar device. Then the local administration will let us know when we can go in and winterize, start generators, and evaluate damages. We will also find out (hopefully) if we can stay even though there is no electricity or road. I don't plan to stay long even if allowed. I've had enough excitement for one year. My septic tank and field appear to be gone. I just want to pick-up a few things and get pipes winterized and some heat turned on. Interestingly, we were told that the slide, though likely triggered by heavy rains, was caused by a break in smooth bedrock, and was not a typical slide. There was never any prior slide activity and no one was expecting this in the area. It was called a 200 year event. There is still concern over the area with the crevice and loose soil, however.
0 -
Boy o Boy! If this kind of disaster were to hit me and insurance were to deny the claim......I'd be up crap crick in need of a paddle!!
Just when you think you have all the bases covered the rug is pulled out from under you!! Quite literally here with the landslide. trawler, I sure hope you have resources (financial & family\community support) to get through this!
You and your wife are still in my prayers.
0 -
I had a low cost earthquake rider on my homeowners insurance for 20 years, even though the mid-East is extremely stable geologically. Then, without warning, they sent me a letter "we will no longer sell earthquake coverage; find someone else for that." I was unable to find anyone selling earthquake coverage in my state. And, this was before FL was beaten by hurricanes.
Bottom line: earthquake coverage may be difficult for any of us to find. At least, I was able to buy insurance for sewer backup.
Neal
0 -
That has to be one of the scariest things I've ever seen. To have your home right next to it must be so stressful. The loss of your neighbor has to be hard too. I don't know how I would cope with things, you are holding up so very well....you must be made of pretty stern stuff.
I noticed something in my business insurance policy the other day. They spend two entire pages going over the fact that they do not cover earthquake. They don't just say "you are not covered for earthquakes"....they go on and on about it and name everything that they do cover (unless and earthquake is involved) which seemed a bit overboard to me. Now I wonder just how many earthquakes cause things that I didn't realize.
0 -
That sucks!
How come the pictures look like they are from 1982?
What kind of camera are you using?
0 -
Sorry!
I personally would take as much as I could as soon as I could and leave. One look at that remaining fissure sealed it for me. Wow.
0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
40 comments