Alaska News

Six Missing, Homes Destroyed in Southeast Alaska Landslide

JUNEAU, Alaska — Six people were missing after a mudslide measuring an estimated two football fields across slammed into a neighborhood in the southeast Alaska community of Haines, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday. It was one of several reported mudslides …

Jetliner Hits Brown Bear While Landing in Southeast Alaska

YAKUTAT, Alaska — An Alaska Airlines jetliner struck a brown bear while landing early Saturday evening, killing the animal and causing damage to the plane, officials said. None of the passengers or crew members on board the plane were injured …

Seward Area Hit by Severe Flooding Due to Heavy Rain, Winds

KENAI, Alaska — The Seward area of Alaska experienced severe flooding as heavy rain and high winds hit the area over the weekend, officials said. Heavy equipment operators spent Friday and Saturday repairing berms along area waterways that were damaged …

Most Alaska Wildland Fire Crews Fighting Blazes Beyond State

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Most of Alaska’s wildland fire crews are helping fight fires in the continental U.S., including western blazes that have triggered evacuations of thousands of people, officials said. U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said 450 …

Powerful Quake Jolts Alaska Towns, Produces Small Tsunami

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A powerful earthquake off Alaska’s southern coast jolted coastal communities late Tuesday, and some residents briefly scrambled for higher ground over fears of a tsunami. There were no immediate reports of damage in the sparsely populated area …

Lawsuit: 150 Cannery Workers Forced Into Hotel Quarantine Without Pay

LOS ANGELES — About 150 seasonal workers hired by a salmon cannery in Alaska are being forced to quarantine without pay at a hotel in Los Angeles after three of them tested positive for the coronavirus, a lawsuit claims. The …

Alaska Needs Broad Review of Aviation Safety, Officials Say

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska needs a comprehensive review effort to improve aviation safety because its aviation fatal and non fatal accident rates are far higher than the national average, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. The NTSB issued a …

More Funding Needed to Maintain Alaska Earthquake Sensors

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A project that maintains seismic monitoring stations in Alaska needs more funding to continue fully operating, officials said. Scientists, lawmakers and federal agencies are promoting the permanent installation of the Transportable Array Network, The Anchorage Daily News …

Regulation Standards Seen As Factor in Alaska Quake Damage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Assessments following Alaska’s enormous 2018 earthquake showed building damage was worse outside Anchorage’s safety area because of reduced regulation, municipal officials said. There was less structural damage in the Anchorage Building Safety Service Area than in the …

Air Quality Plummets as Wildfire Smoke Hits Alaska’s Most Populous Cities

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Smoke and soot from central Alaska wildfires have afflicted the subarctic city of Fairbanks with some of the world’s worst air pollution in recent days, forcing many residents indoors and prompting one hospital to set up a …