The Alaska Department of Transportation is sending a crew to remove trees and repair Elfin Cove’s boardwalk. That’s after a windy storm hit the community of about 15 on Monday morning, toppling trees, triggering several landslides, and causing extensive property damage.
In an email to KCAW, DOT representative Angelica Stabs confirmed that a response team that visited the community earlier this week (9/23) used a drone to identify extensive tree damage in the area, several small landslides, as well as one larger slide near the head of the bay that cut off access to several residences beyond the affected area.
Stabs said the state is sending in a contractor to remove fallen trees. Once the larger debris is cleared, a maintenance crew will begin repairs on the boardwalk. Stabs said no major structural damage was identified on the boardwalk, which serves as the community’s primary travel route.
Stabs said since the remote Chichagof Island community can only be accessed by boat or charter aircraft, the state will wait for a good weather window to send the tree removal crew. In an email on Friday (9-26-25) Stabs said the first crew from the Division of Forestry was scheduled to arrive on Sunday.
