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Wasilla reports widespread windstorm damage; city seeks disaster declaration and begins cleanup
Summary
Public Works Director Eric Shaw told the City Council the recent windstorm downed trees, damaged railroad crossing arms and airport aircraft, and tore signs and fences; city staff said they are documenting losses for insurance and the governor's disaster declaration to recoup costs.
Public Works Director Eric Shaw told the Wasilla City Council on Dec. 15 that a major windstorm over the prior weekend produced widespread but mostly nonstructural damage across the city and prompted immediate cleanup and insurance documentation.
Shaw said crews cleared multiple trees from roadways and that several railroad crossing arms suffered wind damage; under the city's arrangement with the railroad, the city will pay for repairs. At the municipal airport, he said, two small planes were damaged — one with wings bent or broken and another that flipped after apparently losing a tie-down. “If you'd gone out to the airport, you would see everyone arrive with their vehicles and blocked their vehicles, used their vehicles as wind breaks for their airplanes and tied themselves down better,” Shaw said.
Shaw described damage to signs, fences and seasonal decorations. He said the nativity scene at Iditarod Park likely caught fire after rolling over and exposing a space heater to hay, and that the menorah and several decoration structures were blown down, forcing cancellation of the city tree-lighting event. City Hall's boilers briefly failed and the building dropped to about 43°F on Sunday morning; crews brought systems back online and a freeze-up was averted.
On water and utilities, Shaw said water and sewer systems performed well overall; Spruce power generation and the Richmond Hills booster station switched to generators and staff restored the systems after a faulty sensor and related issues. Shaw said crews are submitting records to support the administration's request under the governor's disaster declaration and will pursue insurance recoveries where appropriate.
Council members asked whether the city still had a state-provided generator at Spruce; Shaw confirmed the borrowed generator remains available and sustained operations during the changeover. Shaw also said the city is coordinating repairs to the MATCOM dispatch center windows, where staff reported severe noise and separation during the storm.
Next steps: the city said crews will continue debris removal and infrastructure repairs, provide documentation for insurance and state disaster reimbursement, and return to council with any significant budget or CIP implications if long-term repairs are required.
