Neighbors reported a second slide on the northern end of Kramer Avenue, in an area that hasn’t yet been developed.
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The slide occurred after the area received 2½ inches of rain in 24 hours.
A state of emergency has been declared in the town, which has a population of more than 9,000 people.
A city building official is among the missing.
By 5:30 p.m., Peterson had identified the three people unaccounted for as Sitka Fire Marshal William Stortz, 61; Elmer Diaz, 26; and Ulises Diaz, 25. The Daily Sitka Sentinel first reported the identity.
One of the newly built homes was destroyed in the landslide, and another was damaged, Sitka fire spokeswoman Sara Peterson said.
The search for the missing was delayed late Tuesday afternoon because of the instability of the site.
Earlier, Stortz’s wife, Libby, was at the area of the slide, family friend Peter Turner said.
“We don’t want to put additional people in harm’s way and compound the problem”, he said. Sitka, almost 600 miles southeast of Anchorage, sees heavy rain throughout the year and more was expected.
Sitka resident Mike Finn told KTVA this was more rain than he’d ever seen.
“I think the fact of how quickly the rain fell, in such a short amount of time, is why it had such a high impact”, Vaughan said. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.
Chris Harshey, who is a carpenter, was working on a nearby home when he heard the trees and earth fall from the mountain.
Logs, mud and other debris have collected at the end of the slide area, and officials were considering whether to use large boulders to form a barrier to stop further movement.
“I was the one who called her to tell her husband was missing in a landslide”, Gorman said.
Governor Bill Walker toured the area where the landslides ate the mountains Wednesday morning.
The remains of one missing person in Sitka have been located, authorities say.
Some residents near the construction site and at a downslope neighborhood were allowed to return home after being evacuated. The structure was completely obliterated by the landslide which struck Tuesday morning (8-18-15).
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“This type of landslide is typical for Alaska, especially our communities that are in our mountainous regions”, Jeremy Zidek of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said.
