An unexpected, strong weather system sent high winds tearing through Wrangell, snapping three Southeast Alaska Power Agency poles which blocked the highway at City Park and knocked out power to most of Wrangell for much of Tuesday afternoon into the evening.
A peak wind gust of 54 mph out of the southwest was detected on Zarembo Island at 1:55 p.m., said Wes Adkins, a lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service Juneau Forecast Office. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management operate a remote, automated weather system on Zarembo. The peak gust recorded at the airport was 35 mph, with most gusts lower than that.
Adkins said he was briefed that there was a tight low-pressure system that went ashore at Port Alexander, about 65 miles south of Sitka. When that system pushed into the Petersburg area, Wrangell got hammered by some really strong wind gusts, he said.
”While we were expecting breezy conditions to develop, we didn’t think it would be this strong.”
The three SEAPA power poles at the City Park area off Zimovia Highway that snapped will have to be replaced, Wrangell Capital Facilities Director Amber Al-Haddad said.
As of early Tuesday night, the highway was not yet passable. Municipal crews were working to restore power and reopen one lane , allowing traffic to alternate turns, said Kim Lane, borough clerk.
“They have to clear the tree before they can remove the lines, because the lines are underneath the tree,” Lane said.
“SEAPA is assessing the damage to the transmission system and is coordinating with our line contractor to expedite repairs,” SEAPA CEO Trey Acteson said in a statement. “Pole replacements and power restoration activities are anticipated to span until (Wednesday).”
Wrangell will be without Tyee Lake hydropower until crews can rebuild the connection. The municipality switched to diesel generators Tuesday.
Storm damage cut off direct Wood Street access to the hospital as of 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, so anyone going to the hospital had to come up Pine Street (next to Seventh-day Adventist Church, across from the Public Safety Building). The hospital was running on generator power.
Power was down at the airport, and the main priority was restoring power there. The afternoon Alaska Airlines southbound flight loaded up at Petersburg and attempted to land, but strong winds diverted it to Ketchikan.
“In Juneau, they made an announcement that the power was out in Wrangell, and they’d have to go to Ketchikan or Seattle if they didn’t get the power back in time,” Nancy Delpero, who sits on the parks and recreation board, and was on the flight.
“In Petersburg they said, ‘We’re gonna go for it.’ I could see — we made a first attempt — and they could see, the terminal. It was right there. And the wind was catching the tail. So (the pilot) went up in the air again, and he said they were going to approach it in a different direction. He did the big circle around, and you always know, because you can feel what was happening with the plane. You could feel it slowing down, slowing down, and then you could feel it accelerating again. They couldn’t do it. So, we’re in Ketchikan now.”
Delpero said passengers were rebooked on the Wednesday morning jet to Wrangell.
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