For the past couple of weeks, the Unalaska Department of Public Works has had to deal with snow, wind, ice, and rain. Now, they’re battling avalanches.

According to City Manager Chris Hladick, snow began sliding into the landfill in the early afternoon. At about 1pm, the crew was struggling with the accumulation.

“They couldn’t keep up with cleaning them up, so they decided to shut it down,” says Hladick.

Hladick says that one of the main reasons for the landfill closure was concern for the safety of city employees. They were also concerned that the avalanches could ultimately affect the roads, and that local drivers could get stuck – or worse – on their way to drop off their trash.

 “Once you start getting avalanches in the landfill itself, there’s concerns about avalanches on the road leading up to the landfill because we have them there as well,” says Hladick.

Right now, no roads have been officially closed because of the avalanches. However, Hladick  advises motorists to be careful when driving on Summer Bay Road or near Ballyhoo.