KODIAK- The second rainiest day in Kodiak weather history caused mudslides along Rezanof Drive and Anton Larsen Bay Road Friday that could have been deadly. But thus far, it looks like the worst casualties were a golf course and a marathon.
"We fortunately have not had any reports of injuries," said Alaska State Trooper Dennis Dupras. "Although, there have been plenty of near misses."
Friday's 6.40 inches of rain is less than the 7.44 inches Kodiak received on Halloween 1991, when mudslides damaged five homes and called for the evacuation of 50 homes.
This year, private homes were largely spared, but Kodiak roadways took a beating. The biggest delays came from damage on Rezanof Drive between the Coast Guard Base and the fairgrounds where multiple landslides blocked the road Friday evening through Saturday evening.
All roads are now clear except for Anton Larsen Bay Road. Troopers cannot yet estimate when it will reopen.
Because much of the racecourse was under water, KMXT's Run the Rock was postponed, and the Anton Larsen Bay part of the course will have to be abandoned. The station hopes to reschedule the race for either this weekend or next weekend. The VFW club on Monashka Bay Road is under consideration for a new race headquarters.
"We have Fred Hawley out on the road right now mapping out a new course," KMXT's Mike Murray said.
Fairbanks' runner Jane Lanford had flown to Kodiak for the race, but said that her time on the Emerald
"Saturday morning was gorgeous, and I had already said that I was going to go for a run, no matter what," she said.
On a 10-mile run along the intended course, Lanford got to run alongside twin sisters who had registered for the half-marathon. She found the golf course to be a disaster zone.
"Water was pouring out of the course, creating a waterfall that was eating away the asphalt," Lanford said.
Lanford made it as far as the switchbacks that lead up to the mountain pass before the highway became an impassable river.
The National Weather Service predicts more rain today, so the danger of mudslides may not be over.
To contact the Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.
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