Cleanup underway after trees topple into Alaska road, bay

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Efforts were underway Monday to clear a road where dozens of fully grown evergreen trees as well as rocks and dirt toppled into an Alaska bay, sending onlookers running and cutting off road access for scores of people. “I was dumb enough to be there with phone, videoing it.” The slide measured 200 feet long by 300 feet wide and could take up to two weeks to clear, Bower estimated. “There are a lot of cool things going on,” Bower said of efforts to make sure those stranded are able to get back and forth to Seward, including a water taxi and landing crafts. “They’re helping, so a lot of great community coming-together to get things done.” A private contractor was handling the removal process and planned to use heavy equipment to clear the debris at the top first, working down to the roadway, Bower said. Gray said all of a sudden, the loader began backing up, and he believes the driver “started to get a sense that things are still pretty active,” he said.