Nov. 1984 Southeast Coastal Storm
A hurricane-force storm with a recorded low of 955mb battered the Juneau
area on Thanksgiving Day of 1984. The system deepened by about 10mb from
the night of 11/21 until the early morning hours of 11/22, and was around 960mb
when it made landfall the morning of 11/22. Strong pressure gradients caused
winds of 50 to 60mph, with a top gust of 92mph in downtown Juneau, which was
the highest wind ever recorded in that area.1 The storm was especially
devastating because the high winds were paired with an unusually high tide,
which caused a great deal of flood damage. Along with flooding, the low-pressure
system caused downed trees, broken power lines, destroyed roads, overturned
planes, and sunken boats—damages that totaled about $2.4M in Juneau.
Another $1M of damages occurred in Tenakee Springs, 50mi southwest of
Juneau.2 With inflation, the total damage of $3.4M would be $7.8M in 20143. Of
the 50 homes in Tenakee Springs, about 15 were destroyed in the storm. Gov.
Bill Sheffield declared Tenakee and the Juneau-area a disaster area on 11/264,
which freed up government funds to rebuild from the damage and to provide lowinterest loans to those in need.5
Citation
Millions in damage,
caused by wind, waves.
Juneau Empire (AK)November 23, 1984.
Author(s): Chuck
Kleeschulte. Page(s): 1,
16.
Details
 Strong winds and high tides
crashed Juneau’s coast, causing
a combination of water and wind
damage. Damage included:
ruined buildings, toppled trees,
flipped small panes, and downed
power lines.
 The storm produced the strongest
winds ever recorded in downtown
Juneau.
 The top gust was over 92mph just
before 12pm on 11/22 with
sustained winds of 50 to 60mph
between the hours of 10am and
3pm. The top gust of 92mph was
a new record wind speed in
downtown Juneau. The winds
were from a storm in the Gulf of
Alaska that hit the northern
1
Millions in damage, caused by wind, waves. Juneau Empire (AK)- November 23, 1984. Author(s): Chuck Kleeschulte. Page(s): 1, 16.
2
Storm damage estimated $4 million. Daily News-Miner (AK)- November 24, 1984. Page(s): 1.
3
CPI Inflation Calculator. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Dep. Of Labor. http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
4
Tenakee picks up the pieces. Juneau Empire (AK)- November 26, 1984. Author(s): Debbie Reinwand. Page(s): 1, 16.
5
Storm damage $2.4 million. Juneau Empire (AK)- November 27, 1984. Author(s): Betsy Longenbaugh. Page(s): 1.
File(s)
Scan0004,
Scan0005






13 homes destroyed,
others damaged in
Tenakee Springs.
Juneau Empire (AK)November 23, 1984.
Author(s): Debbie
Reinwand. Page(s): 1,
16.





portion of the Panhandle the
hardest.
The storm had a pressure of
955mb. The tide was 20.3ft.
The damages had not been
totaled yet but were expected to
be in the millions. This was the
worst storm damage Juneau had
ever seen.
The waves washed out a rock
wall protecting the fill dirt the
$1.2M Marine Park is built on.
The surge also broke fuel lines
from tanks buried in the ground.
The storm caused trees to smash
into houses.
The storm also threatened to
wash out roads. Debris, such as
logs, crashed into the roads. The
repairs for the road damages
were estimated to be $100K to fix.
There were several power
outages but many issues were
resolved within a few hours of
outages. Some outages persisted
out in the Tee Harbor area.
At Auke Bay, at least two boats
sank as 8ft swells battered boats
in the bay.
Thirteen homes were destroyed
Scan0004,
and 12 were seriously damaged
Scan0005
by 80mph storm winds in
Tenakee Springs on Chichagof
Island on 11/22. Most of the
homes that were lost were 20
years old or older.
Those who lost their homes
stayed at the community school.
There were no reports of injuries
or deaths.
On the morning of 11/23, the U.S.
Coast Guard in Sitka dispatched
a helicopter to the town, carrying
1,800lbs of food, clothing, and
blankets.
Vice Mayor Debbie Lockhart


Storm damage estimated
$4 million. Daily NewsMiner (AK)- November
24, 1984. Page(s): 1.




Tenakee picks up the
pieces. Juneau Empire
(AK)- November 26,
1984. Author(s): Debbie
Reinwand. Page(s): 1,
16.





declared a state of disaster the
afternoon of 11/22.
The main concerns of the
Tenakee Springs residents were
securing the homes in shaky
condition and the warehouse
where the town’s food is stored.
City officials asked that hunters
and prospective visitors cancel
trips to the community as quarters
are cramped and available
supplies are needed by residents.
Officials tentatively estimated
Scan0033
storm damages to be $3M in
Juneau and $1M in Tenakee
Springs, which is 50mi southwest
of Juneau.
More than 20 beachfront
dwellings were either damaged or
destroyed in the storm.
The storm was especially potent
because of high tides with high
winds.
Damages included: overturned
planes, dropped trees onto
homes, sank boats, and downed
power lines
The storm completely destroyed
Scan0006,
15 of the 50 homes in Tenakee,
Scan0008
and left seven severely damaged.
This left nearly 20 people of the
130 in the community homeless.
Most of the homes were not
insured.
The damage of the storm is
estimated at $1M.
The storm battered Juneau to
Kake with 92mph winds.
Gov. Bill Sheffield proclaimed the
town a disaster area on 11/26.
The possibility of fire was a threat
because of all the gasoline spilled
in the community because of the
storm. This was especially
dangerous because the main
road was washed out and it would


Storm damage $2.4
million. Juneau Empire
(AK)- November 27,
1984. Author(s): Betsy
Longenbaugh. Page(s):
1.






Guardsmen aid Tenakee
repair after storm.
Juneau Empire (AK)December 3, 1984.
Author(s): Debbie
Reinwand. Page(s): 2.


be impossible for fire trucks to
reach the area.
The immediate concerns after the
event were: restoring the sewage
system, repairing fuel tanks, and
reconstructing damaged and
destroyed homes.
The community also needed to
deal with the long-term financial
impact of the destruction. A
sawmill that periodically employed
people and cabins that people
rented out were also destroyed.
Juneau was apart of the declared Scan0009
disaster area from the storm.
Damages are estimated to be
$2.4M and include damage to
docks, parks, harbors, buildings,
and roads.
The estimated cost to repair
Marine Park in downtown Juneau
is $930K.
Damages to roads in Juneau
totaled $130K.
Local insurance agents estimate
insured losses at $371K, which
only includes home damage.
Much of the damage was
flooding, and few homeowners
had flood insurance.
The State would pay to fix public
facilities, such as roads and
docks, and it would make
available low-interest loans to
individuals to rebuild homes or
businesses.
City-borough docks sustained the
brunt of the damage from the
storms, totaling hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
Forty National Guardsmen landed Scan0010
in Tenakee to help clean up
debris from the storm.
The priority was to remove debris
lodged beneath many of the
homes still standing. They also
had to clear debris of the
destroyed homes before 15ft tides
came in.