How an Alaska couple managed to escape a deadly landslide – but lost everything

By CNN

Published August 26, 2024 12:01 am

NATASHA CLEVENGER

By Elizabeth Wolfe and Cheri Mossburg, CNN

(CNN) — James Montiver, 70, was relaxing on his sofa early Sunday evening when he suddenly heard a loud roar and saw a bright flash of light.

“The whole house was shaking like a roller coaster. It all happened so quickly, next thing I knew I was flying in the air,” he told CNN from his hospital room.

Montiver was thrown into the ceiling of his home as the structure collapsed on itself in the force of the landslide sweeping through his Ketchikan neighborhood. He suffered four fractured ribs and a dislocated shoulder but, protected by a small triangle of space created by the sofa, he escaped the destruction with his life.

He was one victim of a 1,100-foot landslide in the coastal city of Ketchikan in southern Alaska on Sunday that left one person dead and three others injured. Some residents have been ordered to evacuate as officials warn another slide could strike nearby.

It took Montiver about 20 minutes to work his way out of the wreckage, during which he said he was shouting for his husband nonstop.

“I was so worried. I just had to get to Bill. I just had to,” he recalled. The couple have been together for 42 years, he said.

Bill Montiver, 65, was standing in the kitchen when the slide swept through the house. He was trapped in a pocket of space created between the refrigerator and the dishwasher. It took first responders about an hour working with chain saws to free him.

“My husband was knocked on the noggin,” Montiver said, but added he escaped serious injury.

The Montivers’ home pancaked, eventually coming to a rest in the basement and encroaching on the property next door.

“Our house pushed our neighbor’s house off its foundation by about 2 feet,” said Montiver.

Ketchikan Mayor Dave Kiffer said, “In my 65 years in Ketchikan, I have never seen a slide of this magnitude.”

“The loss of life that we have encountered is heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to those who lost their homes,” he added.

The City of Ketchikan identified the deceased as Sean Griffin, a senior maintenance technician at the City of Ketchikan Public Works team. He had responded to a call for assistance during scheduled time off and was cleaning storm drains with a coworker when they were caught in the landslide.

A news release from the city described Griffin as a “beloved husband, father, son, neighbor, and coworker” who spent 17 years working his way up through the ranks of the Public Works department.

Multiple homes, businesses and roadways were significantly damaged when the landslide tore down a hillside around 4 p.m. Sunday, the city said. At least four homes were “critically damaged” and flooding has impacted several homes and businesses downhill of the slide area, the city said in an update.

All residents have been accounted for, the city noted.

But about 60 homes in the area were ordered to evacuate Sunday as city officials grew concerned another landslide could be triggered south of the initial slide.

“The slide area remains unstable,” the city said in an update Monday.

While residents in the vicinity are evacuated, state and local geologists will be in the area of the landslide Monday to assess the area for potential secondary slides.

“There will be no activity allowed in the slide area until after the area has been cleared by geologists,” according to the city’s update.

The landslide is attributed to heavy rainfall, according to the National Weather Service in Juneau. Between 5 and 9 inches of rain fell in the higher elevations of the Ketchikan Range over the span of about 30 hours, the weather service said. The Ketchikan airport received 2.5 inches over the same timespan. Ketchikan’s average rainfall for the entire month of August is typically 8 inches.

Significant downpours are waning, though some light to moderate showers could still affect the region through Monday afternoon, the weather service said.

Residents of First Avenue were able to return to their homes Monday night, but homes on Second Avenue and and West Third Avenue were still under evacutuation orders.

‘We lost absolutely everything’

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster emergency declaration for Ketchikan, saying in a post on X, “All state agencies are directed to provide whatever assistance is needed.”

“My thoughts and prayers are with residents of Ketchikan tonight,” the governor added.

Montiver hopes the emergency declaration helps.

“We lost absolutely everything,” said Montiver. The only possession he still has is a pair of pants. “I have no shoes, no glasses, no phone.” Even his shirt had to be cut off in order to treat his injuries.

The Montivers had just sold their house overlooking the Pacific Ocean and were slated to close on the deal this week. A house in Puerto Rico was awaiting them but they fear it too is gone after their insurance agent told them their policy won’t pay for anything as flooding and landslides were not covered.

“I would cry if I could. It’s not going to do any good,” he lamented.

In the meantime, the couple remains hopeful their two dogs – Cassie, a mini long-haired dachshund and Alani, a Maltese and Shih Tzu mix – survived the destruction.

Emergency shelter is available at a local high school and response crews are standing by in case another slide strikes, the city said.

Kiffer, the city mayor, and Rodney Dial, the borough mayor, also issued a joint local disaster emergency declaration Sunday.

“As we work through this, please keep the affected families in your prayers and know we will do everything we can to recover from this event as quickly as possible and help those in need. We sincerely appreciate the first responders, medical personnel, volunteers, businesses and others offering assistance,” Dial said.

The slide sent a dense wave of snapped trees, toppled power poles and dirt crashing into a row of hillside homes. Images shared by the city show a wall of debris crashed against the side of several homes.

Power, phone and internet outages occurred in the area, according to local utility KPU Electric. The city warned of lines on the ground immediately after the slide.

Though service had been restored to many homes and businesses by Monday night, debris was still preventing crews from repairing some power poles, the city said, estimating full power restoration could take several days.

Photos shared by the utility showed a road blocked by a tangle of downed trees and what appears to be a power pole.

KPU Customer Service and City Hall offices were closed Monday due to the slide, the city said in a Facebook post.

Residents are also likely to experience traffic delays as multiple roads are closed near the evacuation area, the city said in another post.

A temporary flight restriction has been implemented in the airspace above the landslide to allow geologists and drone operators to continue their damage assessment, the city announced.

Ketchikan is a popular stop for cruise ships exploring Alaska. Carnival Corporation has ships from its namesake brand, along with Holland America and Princess Cruise Lines, making a stop in the city this week.

“Our cruise lines are working directly with the borough government on how we can best help as well as any changes we should make in our planned visits,” the company said in a statement. Ships are still expected to dock at the Ketchikan port, but some shore excursions will likely be changed or canceled.

Float planes and tours operating outside the slide zone will be allowed to continue, the city noted.

Alaska is on the front lines of climate change, facing a rapidly changing climate as it is warming more than twice as fast as the planet as a whole, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Thinning glaciers, melting permafrost, warming oceans and less sea ice make it a frequent victim of floods and landslides.

Ketchikan, with a population of about 14,000, is nestled along the southern portion of Alaska’s Inside Passage – a water route famed for its stunning landscapes, fjords and glaciers. The city claims to be the salmon capital of the world.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Brandon Miller, Jillian Sykes, Amanda Jackson and Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.

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