Update: Governor verbally OKs snowfall disaster declaration for Juneau, mayor says
- Jasz Garrett
- 19 hours ago
- 7 min read
Assembly to vote Wednesday on ratifying declaration by CBJ and Tlingit & Haida; state scheduled to send emergency management specialist to Juneau for assessment Thursday
By Jasz Garrett
Juneau Independent
Update 1/7/26: Mayor Beth Weldon stated in a text message Wednesday morning that Gov. Mike Dunleavy "has verbally granted our request and they are sending an emergency management specialist down tomorrow to assess our situation and figure out resources needed."
Update 1/6/26: The city and Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska issued a joint declaration of a local emergency on Tuesday.
"This letter serves as the joint emergency disaster declaration, issued today by Tlingit & Haida and the CBJ, as a coordinated measure to protect life, property, and critical infrastructure," the declaration states. "Even with the on-going coordinated efforts of both governments and partner agencies working in unison and pooling resources to address disaster conditions throughout the year, we are unable to fully address community impacts caused by the Dec. 2025-Jan. 2026 Winter Storm."
The City and Borough of Juneau published a special Assembly meeting agenda the same evening to consider ratifying a resolution declaring a local emergency due to the recent heavy snowfall. Per state law, the Assembly is required to confirm a declaration within seven days.
The Assembly will be discussing ratification of the declaration at Wednesday's special meeting. The meeting will take place on Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. and public participation is welcome via Zoom and in person at City Hall.
The letter states that due to prolonged heavy snowfall and extreme cold temperatures exceeding the response and resource capacities of both Tlingit and Haida and CBJ, both governments are seeking additional assistance from the state.
Original story 1/5/26:
Over the weekend, Juneauites removed snow from vessels, roofs, and shelters, pushed snowbanks back, caught up on plowing sidewalks and streets, shoveled around mailboxes and community fire hydrants — only to be hit by another snowstorm.
A winter storm warning is in effect until Monday at 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service Juneau.
But some people are still unable to clear the snow that fell during Juneau's snowiest December ever, including a record amount during a five-day period leading up to New Year’s Eve.
Nicole Skeek, a Juneau-Douglas resident of more than 20 years, expressed her concern for those unable to keep up with the massive amount of snow, such as the elderly and disabled, especially now that more is falling. Via social media, Skeek reached out to the community to see how many people felt like they were living in a "disaster" status.
Skeek, a former analyst for the State of Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, told the Juneau Independent her goal was to compile information by asking people to list their name or business if they were unable to clear a roof, couldn't find someone to do so, or could not access a roadway in case of emergency. She said she hoped gathering the information would demonstrate to the city, state emergency operations center, and the governor how badly the storm is affecting residents.
The post had 500 comments as of Monday afternoon, with residents sharing varying degrees of need. Skeek said some people told her they were trapped inside their homes without heat and afraid their roofs may collapse, especially with the chance this current storm could soon turn to rain. She said not everyone can afford to pay $1,000 or more to have someone clear their roof or has the manpower to do it themselves.
Skeek turned to the City and Borough of Juneau and the office of Gov. Mike Dunleavy to request a disaster declaration. Bobbi Epperly, a lifelong Juneau resident, said she also wrote a letter to the mayor and governor requesting assistance.
A spokesperson for the governor's office said Dunleavy and the State Emergency Operations Center cannot deploy assistance until CBJ declares the current snowload a disaster, which the city has chosen not to do at this time. The governor's office had received about a dozen requests for a disaster declaration as of Tuesday.
City Manager Katie Koester told the Independent the state cannot send in the National Guard or other assets to help individuals deal with their personal property.
"Shoveling driveways and commercial or private roofs, which I know is in desperate need right now, is not an eligible activity," Koester wrote. "They can only help with public infrastructure. This is the same for CBJ."
Koester stated CBJ is closely monitoring the situation, and if it changes, the city will declare a disaster.
"I fully understand that they don't want to do that and request National Guard assistance without it being absolutely necessary," Skeek said. "But the reality is, there were over 400 people who are in need. And when I say need, the varying degree of need was, there are people who can't get help getting fuel because the fuel delivery trucks can't find their fuel tanks. You have people who have roofs caved in. You have people who are stuck in their homes."
Skeek said she understood the limitations of what the National Guard is capable of assisting with, but she wondered if the National Guard could help clear public sidewalks, shovel out fire hydrants and clear storm drains. She said not everyone has a good neighbor like hers with a plow to help clear their driveways of giant ice berms.
"I'm more concerned about we're at the point where those berms that are entrenching people in their homes, firefighters are going to have a really hard time getting the people in an emergency if they can't get to the home," she said. "Those berms are step one in creating access for these people. But the city does not have enough time or equipment to address getting all of those berms cleared, or even getting the difficult parts of the sidewalks cleared, or addressing each and every one of the fire hydrants."
Eight boats have sunk in Juneau harbors since last week, according to Harbormaster Matt Creswell. The Nugget Mall is closed indefinitely due to roof snow removal, according to a social media post, and Fred Meyer was evacuated Thursday for the same reason. Fred Meyer's store reopened on Sunday; however, its fuel station canopy partially collapsed on Thursday and remains closed as of Monday.
Additionally, the roof of the Juneau Shotokan Karate dojo in the Mendenhall Valley collapsed on Wednesday morning, according to vice president of the board Sandra Burgess. On Saturday, News of the North reported the record-breaking snowfall created a dangerous situation at Fairweather Stables, trapping 17 horses inside as their caretakers faced challenges of clearing the barn's roof safely.
Skeek said she anticipates more roofs collapsing with the coming freezing rain.
"Worst case scenario, we get this huge dump of snow, way more roofs are going to start caving in, and then we finally get the declaration disaster and request the National Guard, and they can't even fly in because the airport might be shut down," Skeek said. "We should be addressing the situation right now and chipping away at it, not waiting for it to become an even larger iceberg that is unmanageable."
Mayor Beth Weldon responded on Saturday to Skeek's letter requesting a disaster declaration, thanking her for her concern.
"The reason that we would declare an emergency disaster is to gain access to state resources," Weldon wrote. "However, CBJ is already working closely with the State of Alaska Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) and the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) to utilize EVERY AVAILABLE RESOURCE to clear the snow and keep people safe. The state has no more resources to give us at this time. This multi-agency coordination will continue throughout the next snowfall and until the roads and harbors are cleared."
Weldon wrote that CBJ snow removal crews and contractors are working around the clock to plow side streets and backroads, keeping major arterials safe.
"ADOT&PF crews are similarly working around the clock, utilizing all available State equipment to maintain the road in their purview, including avalanche risk mitigation on Thane Road," Weldon wrote. An avalanche advisory was issued for all slide paths downtown and in Thane on Monday.
One of Skeek's concerns was about the city running out of places to dump snow. CBJ has been storing snow out Thane or at the bus lot near the Mendenhall Glacier.
"CBJ requested and was granted permission from ADEC to push snow into the Gastineau Channel when we ran out of places to put the plowed snow," Weldon wrote. "Tlingit & Haida, the SEOC and the National Weather Service are participating in joint storm-response briefings so that all levels of government are coordinated on conditions and response efforts. In short, CBJ did not wait for a disaster declaration to request help from our agency partners."
Juneau received a historic 82 inches of snow in December and highly variable accumulations of six inches to a foot have already fallen in Juneau as of Monday at 2 p.m., according to the weather service. There could be additional snow accumulations of four to 10 inches as the day progresses, with winds gusting as high as 45 miles per hour.
A transition to a rain and snow mix, or even rain, is expected through Monday evening and overnight, as strong southerly winds move northward. The southerly winds will diminish in strength on Tuesday, allowing snow showers to return to the area, according to the weather service. The weather service recommends that if someone must travel, they keep an extra flashlight, food and water in case of an emergency.
Weldon said she knows "we know we have a long way to go...together." Like Koester, she said the city is looking for every available solution to keep the community safe. She said CBJ is well-prepared to make a call quickly if circumstances change.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.
