Everywhere in Galena, the scene is the same. Stacks of insulation, water-logged cabinets, bloated trash bags, carpets and sheetrock pile up in looming mounds in front of buildings. Most residents haven't yet returned to the Interior Alaska village decimated by flooding on Memorial Day weekend, and walking the dirt roads feels like a journey through a gutted ghost town.
One month after the flood, rabbits, moose and birds are finally returning to town. Progress continues, but much work remains for the community of about 500 people before winter approaches again. Even now, with summer just barely officially beginning, residents and workers sift through the mess left behind by the mighty Yukon River and there is an inescapable sense of the clock ticking steadily toward the colder months.
Residents recall flood, set eyes on future
On Thursday, crews were hard at work stripping buildings of their ruined interiors and fishing barrels out of lakes that stubbornly refuse to dry up after the flood.
Jenny Pelkola, a Galena resident of 35 years, has spent every waking moment helping her neighbors after the flood. She was one of the lucky few who didn't lose her home to floodwaters, and why her house was spared was unclear -- it wasn't raised on pilings, and her neighbors' homes all flooded. When people ask what saved her home, she tells them, "The Lord."
During the rushed panic of evacuation, Pelkola spotted a cross lying on the floor. The last thing she did was drape it over the front door, saying "Lord, protect our house." Pelkola spent a night at the Galena Learning Academy, an old military base converted to a boarding school, which has served as a shelter during the crisis. Pelkola returned home the next day to find her home undamaged save for some flooding in the garage.
Her rental unit, on the other hand, is destroyed. But she said she's not going to worry about that until the community is back on its feet -- her time is spent volunteering in whatever ways she can.
Most residents are still taking shelter outside of the city, in Fairbanks or Anchorage. Those who do remain are mostly staying at the Galena Learning Academy. Rand Rosecrans, head chef at the academy, works every day to feed those taking shelter in the boarding school.
The military base, capable of housing about 1,500 people, is an unusual infrastructure for a rural Alaska town. "What would we have done without a mini-city (the week of the flood)?" Rosecrans said.
Rosecrans serves about 120 people, three times a day, with the help of his "absolutely fantastic staff," who are putting the needs of the community before their own, he said.
Rosecrans' house and rental property were destroyed, but he had insurance, thanks to the foresight of his wife. Many people weren't so lucky. The staff dishwasher lost everything -- but still shows up to work every day.
"Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, we've got to rise up from the muck," he said.
Galena city manager Greg Moyer said that after the flood, restoring the power plant was the town's No. 1 priority. The power plant runs off diesel fuel to supply the city with electricity.
Water levels reached only about 12 inches in the power plant -- a major stroke of luck. The generator controls were left unharmed, and after they cleaned out water and debris from the plant, they were able to get the generator started again.
"Our infrastructure is back now. It might be crooked, it might be bent, but it's up and running," Moyer said.
The massive white diesel tanks are still inoperable. "They look fine, but they're not," Moyer said. One was pushed 6 feet off of its foundation. Luckily, the tanks were mostly empty and didn't spill any fuel. He hopes they can fix the tanks before winter, but if not, they'll be able to ship fuel in during winter months.
The most pressing issues facing the town are landfill access, cleaning up spilled fuel and hazardous chemicals, and fixing the main water line to allow access to potable water and sewage.
Restoring basic services
The landfill road runs on a bluff parallel to the Yukon. On Thursday, the river was calm and offered no glimpse of the sweeping water and ice jams that smashed into the river bank during the flooding, eroding the ground and completely destabilizing the path. Now, crews are constructing a new road about 20 feet inland of the existing one. Once the new road is complete, the landfill will be accessible again, and folks will be able to remove all the trash currently sitting in front of the buildings. Crews hope to have the road finished the last week of June.
But the new road is temporary at best -- permafrost exposed by the flood is thawing, and will continue to crumble into the river. A different roadway will need to be constructed eventually.
The state has also shipped up an incinerator to dispose of the burnable debris while waiting for the landfill to open.
Resident Victor Marshall has been hired to man the incinerator. He works 12 hour days loading wood into the massive furnace, which reaches temperatures of 1,500 degrees, before going home to work on his house. He's still staying at home, but isn't sure yet whether the structure is sound enough to survive the winter.
Crews are working to clean up spilled fuel and hazardous materials. People are advised to avoid any freestanding water, as it is likely contaminated. Hazardous materials, including over 100 refrigerators (which contain Freon) and countless stacks of diesel fuel cans, are being stored at a haz-mat building, where they will remain until being shipped out of town.
Moyer said the city is still waiting for test results to see if water from the main well was potable. A second well in old town is currently providing people with water, but isn't connected to the entire city.
The sewage lagoon was also breached in the flood, and its contents spilled out into the town. The lagoon now is thought to contain hazardous debris, including 13-15 electric transformers, and the city will need to find a way to fish them out in order to start using the lagoon again.
When will residents, students return?
While the boarding school has provided shelter for residents refuged by the flood, they have only a few more months to stay there before school starts back up.
Ken Essex, director of residence life at the Galena Learning Academy, said that so far, none of the boarding school's 225 students have indicated that they will not be returning to Galena this autumn -- although he suspects that will change as August approaches. He said that they will be capping enrollment at 200 students, allowing for students who normally attend the local public school a chance to continue their education, and have a safe place to eat and sleep during the school year.
As for the people currently taking shelter in the boarding school, "we don't know" where they will relocate to, Essex said.
Homeland Security director John Madden is hoping residents will agree to relocate farther away from the river, but "I don't know what homeowners will want to do," he said.
He said there are "years" of recovery efforts ahead.
Contact Laurel Andrews at laurel(at)alaskadispatch.com