SEWARD — The south-central Alaska city of Seward has declared a local emergency after receiving well over two feet of snow over the weekend
The emergency declaration requests assistance from the Kenai Peninsula Borough and state agencies. City Clerk Johanna Kinney said Seward has not yet received any outside aid, the Alaska Public Radio Network reported Tuesday.
“At this point, no outside resources are available to us because the weather is affecting everybody right now,” Kinney said.
Crews have been working to clear out the snow around Seward and the city is urging residents to clear their properties as a safety precaution.
“There’s a big, urgent need to get our roads clear and accessible,” Kinney said. “And then at the same time the concern is starting to also go toward the structures in town.”
Kinney said the city is also concerned that conditions will worsen with warmer weather and rain in the forecast later this week.
Jason Ahsenmacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Anchorage, said temperatures are expected to reach into the 40s and Seward is likely to receive over an inch of rain.
“As early as Wednesday, mid-day, we’re gonna be seeing rain and snow showers turning to all rain for the Seward area,” Ahsenmacher said.