In Juneau, Alaska’s capital city, a record-breaking snowstorm dumped 82 inches (about 2 meters) of snow within weeks, causing widespread damage including flooded boats and collapsing building roofs. This was reported on January 7.
“All four of my ports were damaged, eight boats sank, and three dozen more were barely saved,” said Matthew Creswell, head of the Juneau Harbor.
According to him, the snow load on vessels reached 45 pounds per square foot (220 kg per square meter), leading to the sinking of both fishing and pleasure boats valued between $5,000 and $200,000.
Most of the accumulation occurred during the final five days of December. Heavy wet snow caused the collapse of a martial arts gym roof and a gas station canopy, with the roof of a commercial building in the city center collapsing the previous day.
Local authorities have urged residents to clear roofs and fire hydrants, while additional crews are working on snow removal. By January 11, the snow is expected to turn into rain, which will increase the load on roofs and storm drains clogged with ice.
Meanwhile, across Europe, adverse weather conditions triggered a large-scale transport collapse. In the Netherlands, over 2,000 flights were canceled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in recent days, with rail services temporarily suspended. At least five people died in France due to the weather, and about one-third of the country is under high alert. New snowfalls are forecast for the Netherlands and Belgium.
