(Sage Smiley / KSTK)
This article was updated as of 4:50 p.m., December 2. Original article below.
Most Wrangell households are back on city power as of early Thursday morning (around 7 a.m. on December 2). Around 100 households from Heritage Harbor to the end of Zimovia Highway went for almost two days without electricity. With high-voltage lines and poles repaired, Wrangell has powered down its diesel generators and is back on hydropower.
Acting borough manager Kim Lane told KSTK Thursday morning that there were still about half a dozen secondary power lines – which distribute power to individual buildings – still needing repairs. Lane said the municipal Light & Power crew hadn’t anticipated those repairs would take more than an hour per line, but did not have an official update on the status of those repairs as of KSTK’s evening newscast.
Crews focused on households that remained without power once they got back on the scene at about 1:00 p.m. Thursday (December 2), Lane told KSTK, adding that local crews also focused Thursday on downed lines and power poles by the Wrangell Cooperative Association administrative building on Zimovia Highway.
Lane urged anyone who needs to report a downed power line to call the Wrangell Police Department at 907-874-3304.
Power was restored to most of Zimovia Highway between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., after crews from the Southeast Alaska Power Agency, Wrangell Municipal Light & Power, Public Works and the Wrangell Police worked through Wednesday night and early Thursday morning to repair and replace snapped power poles near City Park.
A swift and powerful storm Tuesday felled trees and power lines across the island, leaving much of the island in a blackout. Some of the lines were owned by the Southeast Alaska Power Agency, or SEAPA, which delivers hydroelectricity to Southeast communities including Wrangell and Petersburg.
By Wednesday morning, Wrangell municipal crews were able to restore power to much of town, but repairs on the SEAPA lines were delayed while special equipment was flown in, leaving nearly 100 households living on a 13-mile stretch of Zimovia Highway without electricity. Working through falling snow, the crews were able to restore power earlier than anticipated.
Authorities set up an emergency shelter at the community’s Nolan Center in the wake of the power outage, but Lane told KSTK that no Wrangell residents ended up using it. Lane said the preparations ended up being more of a training exercise.
Members of the EOC who had emergency shelter preparation training – including Fire Captain Dorianne Sprehe, Jamie Roberts, and Lucy Robinson – had enlisted the help of Wrangell High School’s wrestling team and other athletes to set up cots and other supplies in case people without power or heat needed a place to sleep.
Lane also told KSTK that the city was informed of issues with GCI internet service for some Wrangell customers. Lane said GCI is flying specialists to Wrangell to assist with internet repairs. As of Thursday morning, internet service is repaired in many areas of town, but may be intermittent in others.
This week’s storm also led the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce to postpone its “Midnight Madness” celebration and holiday tree-lighting ceremony scheduled for this weekend, as well as the community market at the Nolan Center. They’ve been rescheduled for the evening of Saturday, December 11.
Tree lighting will take place at 6 p.m. on Front Street, and vendors will sell food and hot drinks from the Downtown Pavilion.
The community market will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. on December 11 in the main room of the Nolan Center.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE (December 2, 11:45 a.m.):
Most Wrangell households are back on city power as of early Thursday morning (around 7:00 a.m. on December 2). Around 100 households from Heritage Harbor to the end of Zimovia Highway went for almost two days without electricity. With high-voltage lines and poles repaired, Wrangell has powered down its diesel generators and is back on hydropower.
Acting borough manager Kim Lane told KSTK that there are still about half a dozen secondary power lines – which distribute power to individual buildings – still needing repairs. Lane said the municipal Light & Power crew doesn’t anticipate those repairs will take more than an hour per line, or around six hours to completely restore power.
Crews will focus on households that remain without power once they are back on the scene at about 1:00 p.m. Thursday (December 2), Lane told KSTK. Local crews will also focus on downed lines and power poles by the Wrangell Cooperative Association administrative building on Zimovia Highway, Lane added.
Power was restored to most of Zimovia Highway between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., after crews from the Southeast Alaska Power Agency, Wrangell Municipal Light & Power, Public Works and the Wrangell Police worked through Wednesday night and early Thursday morning to repair and replace snapped power poles near City Park.
A swift and powerful storm Tuesday felled trees and power lines across the island, leaving much of the island in a blackout. Some of the lines were owned by the Southeast Alaska Power Agency, or SEAPA, which delivers hydroelectricity to Southeast communities including Wrangell and Petersburg.
By Wednesday morning, Wrangell municipal crews were able to restore power to much of town, but repairs on the SEAPA lines were delayed while special equipment was flown in, leaving nearly 100 households living on a 13-mile stretch of Zimovia Highway without electricity. Working through falling snow, the crews were able to restore power earlier than anticipated.
Authorities stood up an emergency shelter at the community’s Nolan Center in the wake of the power outage, but Lane told KSTK that no Wrangell residents ended up using it. Lane said the preparations ended up being more of a training exercise.
Members of the EOC who had emergency shelter preparation training – including Fire Captain Dorianne Sprehe, Jamie Roberts, and Lucy Robinson – had enlisted the help of Wrangell High School’s wrestling team and other athletes to set up cots and other supplies in case people without power or heat needed a place to sleep.
Lane also told KSTK that the city was informed of issues with GCI internet service for some Wrangell customers. Lane said GCI is flying specialists to Wrangell to assist with internet repairs. As of Thursday morning, internet service is repaired in many areas of town, but may be intermittent in others.
This week’s storm also led the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce to postpone its “Midnight Madness” celebration and holiday tree-lighting ceremony scheduled for this weekend. That’s to allow crews and vendors to focus on cleanup efforts after Tuesday’s storm. The same Light & Power crew responding to outage emergencies around the island usually decorates the downtown tree with lights and ornaments, made by Evergreen Elementary School students.
It’s the second year in a row that Wrangell’s tree-lighting celebration has been postponed due to storm damage and power outages. Last year, that postponement led to an anonymous holiday tree installation — lovingly called the Grinch Tree — in the outdoor pot usually used to secure the trunk of the tree.
The Chamber of Commerce has not set a date for a rescheduled tree-lighting and Midnight Madness festival. The community market at the Nolan Center that was scheduled for Friday evening has also been postponed, and will be rescheduled for the same evening as Midnight Madness and the tree-lighting.
This article has been updated to correct some grammar.
Get in touch with KSTK at news@kstk.org or (907) 874-2345.
