Two rock slides on the Dyea Road prompted the Skagway Police Department to issue a warning to residents. On Saturday, the department received a report of a large rock and associated debris obstructing the Dyea road at 5.2 miles. A car-sized boulder had come loose following heavy rain and blocked one lane. On Monday, another smaller slide hit the same road at three miles. The Skagway Police Department put out an advisory, recommending that Dyea residents keep a three-day supply of necessities in case the mountain slid more and the road became impassable.
A representative for the National Weather Service in Juneau says there is no more heavy rain forecast for Skagway, only moderate precipitation is expected towards the end of the week.
Some Dyea residents indicated they took the warning seriously as they continued to use the road. A representative for the Skagway Police Department said the car-sized rock was too big for state Department of Transportation crews to move with their equipment. Help came in the form of a loader from a private company. The two loaders reportedly tag-teamed and rolled the boulder off the road and into the water.
The Skagway Police Department said the road is now clear and safe to use.
