One month after a deadly landslide struck in Sitka, a group of scientists and agency officials are starting the complicated task of learning what happened. The Geo Task Force has been meeting informally at the Sitka Sound Science Center. The center’s director, Lisa Busch, believes these gatherings are an important first step in understanding the area’s geophysical hazards.

The most troubling aspect of the August 18 slide in Sitka is that it seemed so random. Sure, it was raining hard — but it often rains hard here. What exactly made this day different than thousands of other days? What made a single address on Kramer Avenue so hazardous?
The answer is literally a puzzle, and everyone’s holding a different piece.

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