A small city in Alaska is buried so deep in snow that local leaders are scrambling to find enough snow shovels to clear out the mountains of white stuff.
Sounds like the punch line of a joke — Alaska? Snow shovel shortages? But the coastal community of Cordova is indeed dealing with an unprecedented period of perpetual snowfall.
Members from the Cordova Branch of the Soldatna Alaska Stake say they're trying to make the best out of an exasperating winter.
"We're doing well," said Sister Sharon McCalvy, a longtime Cordova resident and wife of the branch leader, President Richard McCalvy. "People have just really pulled together and helped everybody."
Because of its coastal locale, Cordova is actually accustomed to heavy amounts of rain during the winter months. But several weeks of snow has raised accumulation levels up to rooftops, closed roads and, at times, shut down daily life. Even Alaska's National Guard has been enlisted to help keep roads open and supplies coming into town.
"People here can't remember ever having a snow day at school, but we had a week off from school after our Christmas vacation," said Erica Sanderson, a 15-year-old Mia Maid whose father, Steve, has kept busy in recent weeks driving a snowplow.
The branch was even forced to cancel a recent Sabbath service because many of the roads were unsafe for travel. "The roads were like little lakes and there was so much equipment out on the roads that it just wasn't safe," Said Sister McCalvy.
The snowfall has also closed supermarkets in Cordova at times, so member families have had to draw upon their food storage. Many of the branch members are hunters, so they've been blessed to have an abundance of meat claimed in recent hunts. Brother Sanderson said Cordova members are a prepared lot.
"I would guess most members here have a year's supply of food because we have to rely upon the ferry and airplanes to bring in our food," he said.
Members have also been enlisted to shovel the walks and driveways of their neighbors and fellow members of the branch. Two full-time missionaries reside at the Cordova Branch meetinghouse. The young elders have stayed busy during the record-setting snowfall offering service and clearing snow to any in need. Weekly Church activities have returned to normal, but members wonder if the worst is behind them. "We're not even into the snowy months here," said Sister McCalvy with a nervous laugh. "We usually get most of our snow in February and March."
"The local priesthood leaders are offering assistance and we have sent cleaning kits [from Church headquarters]," said Lynn Samsel, director of the Church's humanitarian response office.
Brother Samsel's office will continue to evaluate the situation in Alabama to determine further assistance.
The local members in the area, who are still recovering from a massive series of tornados that claimed hundreds of lives last April, are also donning "Mormon Helping Hands" T-shirts and helping out those in need.
