Morning Sept. 22 update from Talkeetna

Talkeetna Fire Captain and Operations Chief Tim Morgan just stopped by the command center on his way home to a well-deserved sleep break to report that flood waters continued to recede in both East Talkeetna and downtown Talkeetna. Hydrology levels have dropped significantly on the Talkeetna River and Montana Creek; the Susitna River water levels are slowly dropping. Emergency responders and volunteers dug two major water diversion channels that mitigated damage in the townsite. In East Talkeetna, the Department of Transportation personnel led by Steve Hanson dug a diversion channel around the Talkeetna State Airport airstrip that re-directed water out to the Twister Creek slough. Over in downtown Talkeenta, Borough responders and a team of hard-working volunteers diverted a channel running through downtown neighborhood, winding across streets and through backyards, out to D Street along the Talkeetna Village airstrip out to the main channel south of the townsite. The flood danger is not over – the National Weather Service flood warning continues through 10:00 pm Sunday. Another rain system is approaching, but is expected to be lighter. Residents are still advised to use extreme caution especially when driving or walking on flooded or rain-saturated roads. Maureen McLaughlin —End—