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Ice jam breaks, flows by Galena

May 14, 2010

by Rachel D'Oro
The Associated Press
Friday, May 14, 2010

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A 25-mile ice jam threatening to flood an Alaska village has broken and is now flowing in the Yukon River.

But residents of Galena are hoping the ice doesn't get caught up in a hard horseshoe bend in the river 20 miles downstream of the community of 700.

City manager Tom Corrigan says if the ice chunks get trapped there, the river level upstream would rise and flood Galena. That hasn't happened yet since the ice broke Thursday night and Corrigan says he's optimistic the worst is over.

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Still, the moving ice has raised the water level around town by about 12 feet and some low-lying areas have had minor flooding.

Corrigan says water also has crept near the main road linking two sections of Galena. So emergency supplies including cots and backup generators remain in place in each part of the village.

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