3 men missing in Alaska landslide presumed dead

Search crews recovered a body from the Kramer Avenue landslide in Sitka, at about 7:15 this evening (Wed 8-19-15). “There was considerable damage to the Gary Paxton Industrial Park administrative building”, Peterson said. “A construction crew and city worker were all in the area and we haven’t located them yet”. He saw the slide destroy a home almost 200 yards above him and damage another. One was a city building official and the other two were brothers.

Local resident Ramon Hernandez said the Diaz brothers are partners with him in Four Points Painting, a painting and drywall contractor in Sitka. The mud that is covering the site has the consistency of pudding, he said. The brothers were working on a new home under construction when the landslide hit. “Our prayers are going to go out to all those in Sitka”, Walker said.

The fire marshal of Sitka, Alaska is one of those missing.

Peterson later told The Associated Press that the missing men are presumed dead and the search will be one of body recovery – a determination based, in part, “from the force of the slide and that kind of impact”. Homeland Security is coming in to assess the situation….

In total, the city ordered the evacuation of about 20 to 30 homes.

“It has been raining like hell for the last 24 hours”, Schmitt said.

Sara Peterson, the city’s public information officer, said three landslides struck the coastal city of about 9,000 people.

“There’s been plenty of phone calls with bad news”, he said. He’d been getting calls and texts from residents all day, he said.

Kreiss-Tomkins recalled a landslide in May 2013 during which a Sitka couple narrowly escaped a cabin as a massive piece of mountain above it gave way.

Sitka remains under a state of emergency. In three hours, 1.4 inches fell. “I think the weather has changed a bit, but still concerned about potential additional slides”, he said.

Four people are missing and a state of emergency has been declared in the Alaska community of Sitka after rains triggered a series of landslides Tuesday, authorities said, NBC News reported.

The upgraded level means “heightened awareness”, Roberts said.

Gov. Bill Walker planned to tour Sitka on Wednesday to observe the damage. Some other nearby homes were evacuated, but she did not know how many residences or people were affected. DOT is carefully watching waterways in the area, he said.

Peterson says it was drizzling early Tuesday afternoon, and more rain is expected.