Ketchikan's storm damage estimate tops $4 million as the state steps in

Ketchikan's early estimate of damage from last week's storm has grown to more than $4 million, city officials told the City Council on Monday, and the state has agreed to help pay for repairs.

The figure covers the Ketchikan Public Utilities substation at Ward Cove, where a landslide hit Oct. 15, and a collapsed storm drain at the city's harbor, according to a memo from Acting City Manager Shawn Hart. When the city and borough mayors declared a disaster Oct. 16, they cited only the substation, at up to $1.59 million, Alaska News reported Oct. 17. The memo says the new number will change once city staff and the state assess the sites.

On Oct. 17, the state's emergency operations center told Fire Chief Rick Hines that Gov. Mike Dunleavy had approved a state disaster declaration and that the state would provide public assistance. A state geologist arrived Monday. Hines, who is serving as incident commander, told the council the governor moved quickly.

The landslide pushed the substation's control house about 8 feet off its foundation and damaged cabling, the retaining wall, the fence and a feeder breaker, the memo says. It didn't cause an outage. Ward Cove customers now get power from the Bethe and Point Higgins substations, which the memo says is not sustainable as winter load rises. Repairs should take two to three months once the slope is safe to work below.

The ground hasn't settled. A city official who walked the slope Friday, Saturday and Monday told the council he saw about 12 inches more drop on Monday than on his first walk.

KPU Electric Division Manager Robert Briggs said the slide came down on a slope the utility knew about. Last June, KPU hired an engineering firm to look at what it would take to bring the slope down. "Well, the hazard didn't wait for us and it let go and entered the substation over top the retaining wall and knocked down the fence," Briggs said. KPU plans to bring in its mobile substation to take load off the rerouted circuits.

The same storm collapsed a 48-inch pipe that carries stormwater from a state culvert under Tongass Avenue to an outfall, leaving it at least 90% blocked. Water washed out the area behind the Harbormaster maintenance building, and staff moved hazardous materials out as a precaution. Public Works Director Seth Brakke said the building was already due for replacement, but "the storm drain pipe can't wait." An emergency contractor was on site Monday.

The council voted unanimously Monday to keep the local disaster declaration in force until recovery is complete. Under state law, it would otherwise lapse after seven days. Hart said the declaration lets the city skip its usual bidding rules, but contracts over $100,000 still need council approval, and the council may hold a special meeting next week to take them up.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly was scheduled to vote on its own ratification at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon. Its posted resolution still cites the $1.59 million figure and mentions only Ward Cove.