4 people missing in Alaska landslide found safe

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Four people who disappeared Wednesday evening after heavy rains triggered avalanches, landslides and flooding across southeast Alaska have been found safe, according to reports. 

Troopers confirm that two people are still missing after the slide off a mountain in Haines on Wednesday. There were no details on how the four people were found.

The largest landslide – about 600 feet – occurred in Haines, about 90 miles northwest of Juneau, earlier in the afternoon, trapping about 30 people. As of Wednesday evening, Alaska State Troopers said four homes had been destroyed.

This photo provided by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities shows damage from heavy rains and a mudslide 600 feet wide in Haines, Alaska, on Dec. 2. Authorities say six people are unaccounted for, and four homes were destroyed in the slide, with the search resuming Thursday morning for survivors. (Matt Boron/Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities via AP)

“There is approximately 9 feet of mud and trees covering the area,” troopers said. “SAR (Search and rescue) operations have been suspended for the evening due to rumbling unstable ground.”

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Search and rescue efforts lasted until nightfall, then were suspended Wednesday evening as rains continued and the soil became unstable, Haines Borough Mayor Douglas Olerud told the Associated Press. The borough has about 2,500 residents.

Rescue teams departed Thursday morning for Haines on an Army Guard helicopter to assist in coordinating SAR efforts and "provide valuable resources," authorities added. 

Those unaccounted for were in the Beach Road area, where the largest slide came down, the AP said. 

About 30 people were evacuated, and emergency response crews rescued others, Olerud said. 

This photo provided by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities shows damage from heavy rains and a mudslide 600 feet wide in Haines, Alaska, on Dec. 2. Authorities say six people are unaccounted for, and four homes were destroyed in the slide, with the search resuming Thursday morning for survivors. (Matt Boron/Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities via AP)

Olerud said there has been a wide range of damage in the area, along with smaller landslides in the community. 

“We’ve had extreme flooding in some of the houses. We’ve had some that have shifted on their foundation. We’ve had some houses that were totally destroyed,” he said.

This photo provided by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities shows damage from heavy rains and a mudslide 600 feet wide in Haines, Alaska, on Dec. 2.  (Matt Boron/Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities via AP)

The National Weather Service on Wednesday afternoon said 4 to 8 inches of rain had fallen in the Haines area during the storm. A Flash Flood Watch was in effect for Haines and the surrounding area and an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain was possible by early Thursday morning, according to the NWS.

Olerud added that rain impacted efforts to reach some areas affected by slides and flooding.

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Earlier on Wednesday, Coast Guard officials said they were making preparations to provide emergency support to residents.

This photo provided by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities shows damage from heavy rains and a mudslide 600 feet wide in Haines, Alaska, on Dec. 2. Authorities say six people are unaccounted for, and four homes were destroyed in the slide, with the search resuming Thursday morning for survivors. (Matt Boron/Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities via AP)

“At this point, we are aware that damage has occurred in the town of Haines following the report of multiple landslides in the borough,” said Capt. Stephen White, commander of Coast Guard Sector Juneau, in a statement. “The scope of the damage is unknown at this time but we are proactively moving several assets and personnel to provide assistance to local first responders and the residents who may have been impacted by the landslides.”

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“Prayers help. We can always take prayers. Those always work. We need a lot of those right now,” Olerud added.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.