Alaska
Thousands without power in Alaska after hurricane-force winds hit
Thousands of residents in Anchorage, Alaska, faced widespread devastation and power outages Monday after hurricane-strength winds battered the city on Sunday.
Why It Matters
This latest incident comes as power outages across the United States have become a growing concern as extreme weather events increase in frequency and intensity, often leaving millions of Americans in precarious situations. Hurricanes, wildfires, ice storms and heatwaves have caused widespread disruptions, highlighting the vulnerability of aging electrical grids to severe conditions.
Prolonged outages not only hinder daily life by cutting off access to heating, cooling and essential appliances but also pose significant risks to public health, particularly for the elderly and those with medical conditions reliant on powered devices.
What To Know
The Anchorage storm, which began Sunday, delivered gusts reaching 132 mph at a mountain weather station south of the city, according to the National Weather Service. Within Anchorage itself, winds hit 75 mph, toppling trees, scattering debris and partially collapsing a pedestrian bridge over the Seward Highway, the city’s main southern thoroughfare.
At the height of the storm, 17,500 customers were without power, according to Julie Hasquet, spokesperson for Chugach Electric Association. As of Monday, roughly 5,700 homes remained offline with full restoration expected to stretch into Tuesday.
Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News/ AP
The storm’s chaos wasn’t limited to neighborhoods. Anchorage’s airport, a vital hub for passenger and cargo traffic, saw significant disruptions. Winds forced 13 aircraft, including a U.S. Air Force plane, to divert to Fairbanks, which sits nearly 360 miles away.
On the ground, emergency crews scrambled to clear bridge debris, which had obstructed traffic on the highway. However, no injuries were reported when the side fencing and roof of the bridge fell onto the four-lane divided highway on Sunday. Traffic was rerouted and crews removed the debris.
Alaska Department of Transportation spokesperson Shannon McCarthy pointed to the winds as the probable cause of the bridge failure. However, structural engineers are investigating to determine the full extent of the damage.
Meanwhile, the storm marked a rare convergence of high winds, warmer-than-average temperatures and moisture from a low-pressure system in the Bering Sea, said National Weather Service meteorologist Tracen Knopp. Anchorage saw temperatures in the low 40s Fahrenheit, unusual for mid-winter.
What People Are Saying
Alaska Department of Transportation spokesperson Shannon McCarthy said: “The winds were the leading cause, but our bridge engineers will be out there today and may be able give us a more comprehensive analysis of what happened.”
Julie Hasquet, a spokesperson for Chugach Electric Association, said some customers may not have power back on until Tuesday. She said: “When our crews show up for repairs, they don’t know what they’re going to find.”
Resident Steven Wood told Anchorage television station KTUU about how he and his family was watching the winds blow things around the yard Sunday morning when they saw their neighbor’s roof partially blow off and head right toward them.
“All of a sudden, I see the roof start to peel off, and all I can yell is, ‘Incoming! Everybody run!’” Wood said.
What Happens Next
Cleanup efforts are underway in Anchorage as the city begins recovering from the powerful storm.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
(Juneau, AK) – On Friday, February 20, 2026, Juneau Superior Court Judge Amy Mead sentenced 41-year-old Erica Totland to 14 years with 7 years suspended for Manslaughter, Assault in the Third Degree, and Driving Under the Influence. Totland will be on probation for 5 years upon her release from incarceration.
In 2025 Totland pled guilty to Manslaughter, three counts of Assault in the Third Degree, and one count of Driving Under the Influence. The convictions stem from the April 30, 2022 death of 26-year-old Anton Eriksson and injuries sustained by three passengers in Yakutat. During pre-trial litigation, Judge Mead suppressed toxicology results after finding the seizure of Totland’s blood by Yakutat Police Department without a warrant violated Totland’s rights.
At sentencing, Judge Mead rejected Totland’s request that the court find the Manslaughter was a least serious offense deserving of a lower sentence. Four Eriksson family members testified at the sentencing and discussed the impact that Totland’s actions had on their family.
Assistant Attorney General Daniel K. Shorey of the Office of Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case along with Paralegal Marley Hettinger of the Juneau District Attorney’s Office.
CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Daniel K. Shorey, at (907) 269-6250 or daniel.shorey@alaska.gov.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A musician with Alaska Native roots recorded an hour-long live set in Interior Alaska beneath the aurora.
Chastity Ashley, a drummer, vocalist and DJ who performs under the name Neon Pony, celebrated a year since she traveled to Nenana to record a live music set beneath the northern lights for her series Beats and Hidden Retreats.
Ashley, who has Indigenous roots in New Mexico, said she was drawn to Alaska in part because of the role drums play in Alaska Native culture. A handmade Alaskan hand drum, brought to her by a man from just outside Anchorage, was incorporated into the performance in February 2025.
Recording in the cold
The team spent eight days in Nenana waiting for the aurora to appear. Ashley said the lights did not come out until around 4 a.m., and she performed a continuous, uninterrupted hour-long set in 17-degree weather without gloves.
“It was freezing. I couldn’t wear gloves because I’m actually playing, yeah, hand drums and holding drumsticks. And there was ice underneath my feet,” Ashley said.
“So, I had to really utilize my balance and my willpower and my ability to just really immerse in the music and let go and make it about the celebration of what I was doing as opposed to worrying about all the other elements or what could go wrong.”
She said she performed in a leotard to allow full range of motion while drumming, DJing and singing.
Filming on Nenana tribal land
Ashley said she did not initially know the filming location was on indigenous land. After local authorities told her the decision was not theirs to make, she contacted the Nenana tribe directly for permission.
“I went into it kind of starting to tell them who I was and that I too was a part of a native background,” Ashley said. “And they just did not even care. They’re like, listen, we’re about to have a party for one of our friends here. Go and do what you like.”
Ashley said the tribe gave her full permission to film on the reservation, and that the aurora footage seen in the episode was captured there.
Seeing the aurora for the first time
Ashley said the Nenana performance marked her first time seeing the northern lights in person.
“It felt as if I were awake in a dream,” she said. “It really doesn’t seem real.”
She said she felt humbled and blessed to perform beneath the aurora and to celebrate its beauty and grandeur through her music.
“I feel incredibly humbled and blessed that not only did I get to take part in seeing something like that, but to play underneath it and celebrate its beauty and its grandeur.”
The Alaska episode is the second installment of Beats and Hidden Retreats, which is available on YouTube at @NeonPony. Ashley said two additional episodes are in production and she hopes to make it back up to Alaska in the future.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.
JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) – An Alaska drug task force seized roughly $162,000 worth of controlled substances during an operation in Juneau Thursday, according to the Juneau Police Department.
Around 3 p.m. Thursday, investigators with the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs (SEACAD) approached 50-year-old Juneau resident Jermiah Pond in the Nugget Mall parking lot while he was sitting in his car, according to JPD.
A probation search of the car revealed a container holding about 7.3 gross grams of a substance that tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine, as well as about 1.21 gross grams of a substance that tested presumptively positive for fentanyl.
As part of the investigation, investigators executed a search warrant at Pond’s residence, during which they found about 46.63 gross grams of ketamine, 293.56 gross grams of fentanyl, 25.84 gross grams of methamphetamine and 25.5 gross grams of MDMA.
In all, it amounted to just less than a pound of drugs worth $162,500.
Investigators also seized $102,640 in cash and multiple recreational vehicles believed to be associated with the investigation.
Pond was lodged on charges of second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, two counts of third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, five counts of fourth-degree misconduct involving a substance and an outstanding felony probation warrant.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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