Gov. Dunleavy declares disaster in Ketchikan as winds hit SE Alaska
Winds Reaching 145 Miles Per Hour Batter Southeast Alaska As Disaster Declared in Ketchikan
Wind gusts reached 145 miles per hour at the Lemon Creek Glacier while torrential rains and powerful weather systems pummeled Southeast Alaska, prompting Gov. Mike Dunleavy to declare a state disaster for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, according to state emergency officials and the National Weather Service. The severe weather outbreak, which intensified through Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2026, knocked out a critical power substation, triggered destructive landslides, and caused widespread infrastructure damage across the region.
Landslides and Power Substation Damage Cripple Ketchikan Infrastructure
In Ketchikan, continuous heavy rainfall and high winds led to severe structural damage throughout the community last week. A landslide temporarily closed the Third Avenue Bypass in downtown Ketchikan before a separate debris slide impacted the electrical substation at Ward Cove, causing widespread power disruptions across the borough. Additional damage struck local harbor facilities alongside roads and culverts.
Repair costs for the damaged Ward Cove substation are estimated at approximately $1.6 million, according to reporting by community radio station KRBD. The formal disaster declaration by Gov. Dunleavy followed a joint local resolution submitted by city and borough officials, unlocking vital public assistance funds to repair critical municipal infrastructure. In response to the ongoing geologic threat, the state’s Emergency Operations Center deployed two geologists to provide incident commanders on the ground with technical assistance regarding slope stability.
Ketchikan has a history of destructive and fatal slope failures. A slide in August 2024 tore down the slope above downtown near Third Avenue, killing a city worker and injuring three other people.
High Wind Gusts and Scattered Power Outages Upend Juneau
Farther north in Juneau, surface winds reached sustained speeds of 55 to 65 mph on Tuesday afternoon, while higher elevation observations recorded much more extreme forces. Readings at the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway reached 79 mph, and Eaglecrest Ski Area logged 88 mph. Mountain peaks experienced even more severe velocity, with Sheep Mountain registering 131 mph and the Lemon Creek Glacier peaking at 145 mph, the National Weather Service reported.
Hang in there, Juneau! Conditions are steadily beginning to improve with the front having passed almost all the way through. Here are some of the highest wind gusts observed today across Juneau, with most areas at the surface seeing 55 to almost 65 mph gusts this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/sHBLL9uV57
The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning through Tuesday night covering a sweeping coastal zone from Port Alexander to Skagway, anticipating southeast winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts hitting 60 mph. Falling trees brought down power lines, resulting in scattered outages across Juneau. Mari Kanagy reported for the Anchorage Daily News that a storm-felled tree rested near the intersection of James Boulevard and Riverside Drive on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Salmon Hatchery Net Pens Strain Under Intense Coastal Waves
Residents adjusted to the relentless conditions as frontal systems pushed through the region. Anna Chudko and Airk Furseth walked their dog at the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge on Tuesday afternoon while wearing full rain gear. Both are employees at the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery, where storm-driven tides created immediate operational hazards.
The waves that were coming in were just really intense, and so we had to tie a bunch of extra lines to make sure that nothing was gonna break and disappear into the channel.
Net pens housing developing salmon populations rapidly filled with water as intense waves battered the facility. Conditions across Juneau began to steadily improve by Tuesday afternoon as the primary front cleared the area.