UPDATE: 7:40PM
On Wednesday evening, power was restored to the village of Napaskiak. Except for the school, the village was without power and water since Monday, when a small fire took out the generator. Power flickered on yesterday, as a visiting electrician spent the day working on the generator. Now, City Administrator Joe Amik says they changed out burnt-up wires, and circuit breakers, and batteries, and he believes the generator’s mechanical issue has been resolved.
"Back to normal as we speak," said Amik. "So everything is up and running."
The electrician left for Bethel Thursday evening. Amik says though the city managed the repair, he’s keeping in touch with the state’s Homeland Security Division. The state said they received a local disaster declaration from the community requesting electrical assistance on Thursday, and they’ll work with the community in the coming days to gather information to fill out the disaster request.
ORIGINAL: 2:55 PM
In Napaskiak, the power came back on briefly on Wednesday evening, before going back out. While the lights continue to flicker, a visiting electrician and team are on the ground working through the new problems, and hoping to find solutions Wednesday.
This afternoon, City Administrator Joe Amik said, “We had to do some fixing with some chargers for the battery,” said City Administrator Joe Amik “Everything should be up and running here in a bit.”
Napaskiak hasbeen without power since Monday, when a small fire took out the generator.
The only place with water and power is the school. The wells, store and clinic have been closed too. Residents hope to have reliable power back before the warming weather rots preserved subsistence food.
State officials also reported visiting the community to assess the situation, and determine if emergency services were needed.
