‘Just water everywhere’: Glennallen residents react to massive flooding

GLENNALLEN, Alaska (KTUU) - The Glenn Highway remains closed to one lane of traffic after massive flooding in Glennallen.

People who live here were growing increasingly concerned Tuesday afternoon about water contamination.

Alaska’s News Source launched a drone in the town to record the extent of the flooding. Several cars, trucks and trailers are submerged in water with oil and gas sheens visibly swirling around.

“Just water everywhere,” said Kathy Sanford, while sitting in front of the Subway.

Flooding has happened in Glennallen before, but locals say it hasn’t been to this extent.

“It came up too fast,” said Gary Frank, as he walked along the Glenn Highway.

The flooding happening here is the because of snow melt pouring into Moose Creek.

A 511 report says emergency maintenance crews on the Glenn are working in both directions from milepost 186-188. It said to expect long delays and flagging operations. Tuesday afternoon a pilot car was escorting drivers.

“The weather warmed up too fast for break up to, you know, do its usually combination,” said Isaac Beshaw of Glennallen. “It slowly breaks up and then we’re used to it. This year it got so hot, so fast, that everything, wherever it came from, just came down splashing and just flooded the whole thing.”

Schools remained closed on Tuesday and the high school graduation had to be moved.

Glennallen is about 200 miles northeast of Anchorage and it is among multiple Alaska communities hit hard by floodwaters from break up on rivers.

Copyright 2023 KTUU. All rights reserved.