Thousands remain without power as winds roar through Mat-Su
Outages Saturday stretched from Glacier View to Knik Goose Bay Road.
What you need to know:
- Hurricane-force winds reaching up to 85 mph struck the Mat-Su on Saturday, toppling trees, damaging buildings, and knocking down signs and structures across the area. A high wind warning was extended into Monday afternoon.
- About 20,000 households were without power late Saturday afternoon, from Glacier View to Knik Goose Bay Road. Some railroad crossings were disabled due to wind damage.
- High winds forced the closure of businesses, including Walmart and Settlers Bay Lodge, and led to the cancellation or postponement of multiple community events across Palmer and Wasilla.
- Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.
PALMER -- Hurricane-force winds walloped the Mat-Su on Saturday, leaving thousands without power, shuttering businesses, felling trees and scattering pieces of buildings, outdoor equipment, construction supplies and signs across parking lots and down neighborhoods
Winds at Palmer Airport gusted to 85 mph at about noon Saturday, while gusts at the Glenn Highway interchange near the Palmer Hay Flats hit 79 mph, and those at the Wasilla Airport reached 64 mph, according to weather data.
A high wind warning for the region, first issued Friday afternoon, was extended through 1 p.m. Monday, with gusts up to 90 mph expected, according to the National Weather Service.
“There may be brief periods where winds and gusts diminish slightly Saturday evening and Sunday evening. However, very strong winds and gusts will persist through the weekend,” the warning stated.
About 20,000 households were without power throughout the region Saturday evening, including nearly 1,500 households stretching from Sutton to Glacier View and more than 2,000 in the Knik-Goose Bay Road area, according to the Matanuska Electric Association.
Mat-Su residents can track power outages via MEA's Facebook page or by viewing its outage map.
Ya Ne Dah Ah School in Sutton was open Saturday evening as a warming shelter for area residents, with power running on a generator, Chickaloon Traditional Council officials posted on social media.
Railroad crossings in Wasilla at Knik-Goose Bay Road and Main Street, Clapp Street and the Parks Highway, and Halllea Lane and the Parks Highway were out of service after the crossing arms snapped in the wind early Saturday, emergency officials said.
Businesses across the Mat-Su closed Saturday due to power outages or wind damage. In Wasilla, Walmart closed for several hours starting at about 1:45 p.m. because pieces of its roof were ripped off and blew into the parking lot. Settlers Bay Lodge also closed due to significant roof damage, officials said on social media.
The storm also canceled or postponed a variety of events scheduled for Saturday. In Palmer, a celebration of life for Bruce Bush at the fairgrounds was postponed until Sunday.
In Wasilla, the city’s tree lighting ceremony was canceled. The Knik Tribal Council Holiday Market was rescheduled to next weekend.
A holiday tree tour scheduled for Government Peak Recreation Area was postponed to next weekend. A craft fair and other events scheduled for the Mat-Su College campus were also canceled.
-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com
This story was updated Dec. 6 to reflect that Walmart reopened.