UPDATE 05/10 6:00 A.M. – Remediation work has begun on Lowell Point Road in Seward. Metco Alaska has started to remove debris from Saturday’s landslide, working slowly and cautiously, according to a press release.
The contractor is making intentional efforts to remove trees from the slide debris in order to prevent them from falling into the waters of Resurrection Bay; some trees have unavoidably fallen in, and boaters are being advised to use caution. The US Coast Guard and the Seward Harbormaster are coordinating efforts to keep mariners updated.
City officials are furnishing the state geologist’s office with drone footage for analysis, which will consider the potential for additional slides to happen, particularly in the area between the current slide and the area immediately south that slid in 2020 where the mountainside remains intact.
The public is requested to not go near Lowell Point Road for their own safety. Barricades are set up and manned at the Lowell Creek Diversion Tunnel waterfall area. It is still unknown how long the road will remain closed.
The city has made parking available for Lowell Point residents and visitors at the South Harbor Uplands near the Harbor so they can embark and debark the water taxi shuttle being furnished by Millers Landing.
ORIGINAL: Authorities report that there is a large landslide that closed Lowell Point Road in Seward. It initially was reported around 8:23 p.m. on Saturday evening. Crews are responding, according to a social media post from the City of Seward and they advise drivers to avoid the area until the road has been cleared as safe to travel.
The Seward Police Department states that because it’s a severe landslide, the road will be closed until further notice.
According to a Nixle alert from the Seward Police Department, all vessels in the Resurrection Bay area should be advised that the Lowell Point landslide generated a large floating debris field that included a number of full sized trees.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management is supporting the City of Seward’s response efforts. Water taxi services are available for citizens in the community of Lowell Point. Emergency responders and the Alaska Department of Transportation report that the road will remain closed for approximately one week.
According to the city of Seward, the landslide remains unstable. City officials met with local contractor Metco Alaska Sunday morning to discuss debris removal. Metco Alaska has begun mobilizing equipment in preparation, however, the work can’t begin until the area is safe and it remains unknown when that will be.
As a result of the landslide, the City of Seward has declared a State of Emergency. According to a press release, the landslide is approximately 300 feet wide, and has not yet stabilized. The Public Works Department barricaded access to the road near the Lowell Creek waterfall, and the Seward Police Department will actively man the barricade throughout the night to ensure the public’s safety.
Due to the volatility of the landslide, it is unknown how long the road will remain closed, or how much damage has been done and how much earth will have to be removed from the area. Lowell Point Road is a critical infrastructure for the City of Seward and the residents of the Lowell Point community. There are city wastewater and electric lines that run the length of that road. Local residents and visitors are requested to stay clear of the area.
A shelter has been opened at the Seward High School for anyone displaced by the landslide.