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Borough emergency services reports elevated river gauges, issues flood advisory for Northern Susitna Valley
Summary
Ken Barkley, the borough's director of emergency services, told the assembly the Talkeetna River crested below flood stage, several gauges are at action stage, and a flood advisory for the Northern Susitna Valley (Pearsville area) was in effect through Thursday morning; borough monitoring and public messaging continue.
Ken Barkley, director of emergency services for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, briefed the assembly on flooding conditions across the borough and said staff remain in constant contact with the National Weather Service and DOT as they monitor river gauges and local impacts.
"There is a flood advisory in effect for the Northern Susitna Valley in the Pearsville area, and that's until 09:15AM Thursday morning," Barkley said. He added that no gauges were reporting active flooding at the time of the briefing but three gauges (the Susitna, Sunshine and Yetna) were at action stage — an elevated-monitoring level that precedes minor flooding.
Barkley reported the Talkeetna River had crested at 12.2 feet at its highest and later decreased to about 8.75 feet; flood stage is 12.5 feet. He said the borough's call center remained staffed and available for residents at 861-7900 and that property concerns could be reported through the borough's Survey123 online form. He also said local road crews and fire chiefs were monitoring conditions and that DOT was handling some of the larger-area concerns such as Cache Creek.
Assembly members asked for clarification on what "action stage" means. Barkley explained it is the level preceding minor flooding, used to raise awareness, increase monitoring and prepare messaging to residents; if conditions worsen, borough staff could advise evacuations or shelter-in-place orders.
Barkley said road signs were placed where roads were inaccessible, there were no 911 emergency calls related to flooding at the time, and that borough crews and fire departments had worked throughout the holiday period to monitor conditions and support residents where needed. He also noted a state campground had three feet of water in the parking lot and that some residents were advised to leave.
Ending: Barkley urged continued vigilance, said staff would keep the assembly apprised of changes, and reminded residents to call the borough at 861-7900 or file concerns online.
