Everyone wants to know what is happening. There isn’t much news. It still so early in the morning. I couldn’t sleep. Most of us didn’t. The search was called off last night because it was too dangerous. It’s like we are shattered emotionally and physically. Everything is broken and unstable. There’s the shock of it. We have never had such a calamity in modern times. It was not predicted, we had no warning. It feels as if we have been hit by meteors. I was worried about Juneau. (And still am. My daughters live in a slide area there.) The neighborhood on Beach Road where the worst landslide came down is not a slide area. There are huge trees in there, hundreds of years old.
Captain Gregg Bigsby took this photo from his fishing boat yesterday. Lots of boats motored over to help. There wasn’t much they could do.
And yet: they did help pick up people all along the inlet who wanted to get to town. To be safe. They spotted them with flashlights. The Presbyterian Church opened as a shelter. So many people that live in suddenly dangerous zones moved to hotels downtown. The American Legion is serving breakfast and organizing ways to help. The Salvation Army is helping pay for rooms. Lots of people are. Thor’s gym is open for free showers. Road crews and local operators are opening the roads, there is one lane in places, but the main ones are passable for emergency vehicles. Joanie is playing music on the radio.The police say to stay put so the people who need to can work and help. Helicopters are arriving now from Juneau with seach dogs. My heart is heavy and squishy. I’m waiting. I’m grateful that so many of us are okay. But oh, it’s the ones that aren’t that are on my mind. In my gut. And yours. And everyone’s.
It’s getting lighter.
Have courage. Be good to each other.
(I will check in later today to let you know if there is news. KHNS is a good source. So is the Haines Borough facebook page. Alekka, the acting manager, has just reminded us to keep up our Covid guard and wear masks, as the helpers are coming from some Covid hot spots. It is going to be a challenge to come together while staying apart.Ugh.)
