VIDEO: National Guard called to dig out town buried under 10 feet of snow
Snow is blanketing Cordova, Alaska, and the National Guard has been called out to try and help the town dig out. (Photo from AP video.)
Perhaps you’ve heard, winter 2011-2012 is — so far — the winter that wasn’t.
Tell that to the residents of Cordova, Alaska.
In this tiny town of about 2,200 people, weeks of storms have left parts of the town buried in more than 10 feet of snow, according to Reuters. There was nothing to do but call out the National Guard.
Some 50 guardsmen with their heavy equipment descended on the town to give residents a hand in digging out. The heavy equipment had to be brought in by barge because the town is located in an isolated location along Alaska’s coast, southeast of Anchorage. It’s only accessible by air and sea.
Cordova typically gets about 100 inches of snow per year, but in December and the first eight days of January, the town had more than 130 inches. The excessive snowfall has led to roof collapses, Reuters said, including at three commercial businesses, one of them a restaurant.
Guardsman are being asked to help shovel snow off of roofs to keep that from happening again, CNN said.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!