KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
While numerous mudslides closed the Chiniak Highway between the Coast Guard Base and the fairgrounds, the Friday storm was a little more kind inside Kodiak City limits.
Mark Kozak is the public works director for the city, where mudslides in the past have damaged and even destroyed homes.
— (City 1 6 sec "At any moment there was a lot of fear that things could get real bad in a hurry.")
But, he said, residents in the city were relatively fortunate during this storm:
— (City 2 42 sec "We had quite a bit of … side-hills where homes are.")
Kozak said the rainfall, at six-point-four-inches, was reminiscent of the heaviest rain in Kodiak’s history, where almost seven-and-a-half inches fell in one day:
— (City 3 19 sec "Halloween of 1991 we had … you were out working in it.")
Though no houses were reported to have been damaged this time around, Kozak said there were several reports of water getting into basements:
— (City 4 18 sec "I know there were homeowners … pretty fortunate in town.")
Kozak said his crews will be working for several days cleaning out the drainage and sewer systems, both of which were maxed out by the storm.
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