On Nov. 16th and 17th, rocks and debris washed onto the road as waves eroded parts of the Homer Spit, where several businesses are located.
Tackle Shack Co., a bait and tackle shop next to Glacier D and across from Pier One Theatre, was among the businesses impacted. That Saturday, a high tide of over 22 feet combined with strong winds. Owners Shawn and Ginny Grimes were out of town attending a wrestling tournament when the tides hit.
Ginny Grimes said the waves damaged the shop and destroyed critical infrastructure.
“The obvious damage is the deck and the staircase were ripped off of the building. The not obvious damage is that our seawall is annihilated on both sides, which is a really big deal and really important to have the seawall,” Ginny said.
The seawall was a barrier against storm surges. Without it, she said the entire parking lot is now at risk of washing away, even during relatively calm conditions.
Rebuilding the deck is one of their priorities to allow access to the building.
Above the shop, Ginny said they rent out rooms through Airbnb to supplement their income.
“We've had to cancel bookings already and then we have all next week, because of Thanksgiving, all the rooms are booked out for a big stay, so we don't want to lose that income as well,” Ginny said.
The waves also caused damage to the Tackle Shack’s freezer unit, which stores about 30,000 pounds of bait. Ginny said the compressor is likely ruined. They’re still assessing the full extent of the damage.
That isn’t the only uncertainty.
“We lease the land from the city so that's another tricky spot. Obviously, the sea wall is very expensive to repair, but like, how much money do we put into land that we don't own?” Ginny said.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Transportation is planning to ramp up work next month, starting Dec. 2, to repair its rock wall along the spit.
In response to the widespread damage on the Homer Spit, Mayor Rachel Lord initially declared a local emergency.
At the state level, Homer Representative Sarah Vance sent a letter to Gov. Mike Dunleavy requesting a disaster declaration. In response, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management dispatched an emergency management specialist to assess the damage and identify potential applicants for state disaster assistance.
Crews wrapped up road repairs on Nov. 20 and are now working to clear debris from the shoulder.
Grimes said the Glacier D restaurant, next to their shop, lost freezers and supplies along with large sections of its deck.
