The city of Anchorage is preparing to welcome up to 2,000 people displaced by the catastrophic storm that hit Western Alaska on Sunday, Oct. 12. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said she expects many will stay through the winter.
“We'll do everything we can to help folks and to do our best to provide a safe and welcome environment where they can heal and have stability as they work to rebuild,” LaFrance said in an interview on Thursday Oct. 16.
About 260 evacuees arrived On Wednesday, Oct. 15. Hundreds more arrived Oct. 16, with additional groups expected in the coming days.
LaFrance said some will likely stay with friends or family, but many will need housing. The city is standing up shelters at the Alaska Airlines Center, the Egan Center, and the Fairview and Spenard recreation centers. Together, they can house up to about 1,200 people. The mayor’s team is also working to find hotel rooms. Going forward, she said, her team will look at options for more permanent housing.
“It's unknown how many people right now will be able to go back to those communities, or when or how they will be rebuilt,” LaFrance said. “We are working very closely with partners and looking at ways that we can help to quickly scale up different kinds of housing to meet this need.”
LaFrance said the municipality is taking a supporting role as the state of Alaska and the American Red Cross manage the emergency response. Her team is focusing on emergency shelter and transitional and temporary housing. She said the American Red Cross is working to feed evacuees and provide other basic amenities.
Anchorage School District Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said in an email that schools are ready to enroll students and provide support, including emergency supplies, bus transportation, mental health services, and translation assistance.
“This transition carries both emotional and cultural weight,” Bryantt wrote. “Our schools will be places of belonging, healing, and hope, where every child feels safe, valued, and connected.”
Bryantt and LaFrance both underscored the devastation of the storm, noting Alaskans impacted have had to uproot their lives.
LaFrance said when she visited with evacuees on Oct .15, one man told her about his house floating away.
“He went in twice to save family members,” LaFrance said. “He lost his house, he lost his boat, he lost his snowmachines. He said he never wanted to go through that again.”
LaFrance said she’s asking all Anchorage residents to greet those who have been displaced with generosity and kindness, because they are going through something traumatic and have lost so much. She said anyone wishing to donate can do so through the Alaska Community Foundation.