The dedication of a dog musher...

During the last few days, the village of Galena has been completely flooded by the mighty Yukon River.

The Yukon River was frozen solid through out the Alaska long winter, then Mother Nature turned winter into summer in a heart beat. The river ice broke up due to sudden 70 and 80 degree temperatures. But, the ice did not have a chance to melt into smaller pieces. Huge icebergs drifted down river and caused enormous ice jams all along the river. This effected the villages of Eagle, Circle and now Galena.

Only 20 miles downriver from Galena, at a spot called Bishop Rock there was an enormous ice jam. The water began to rise - quickly - and miles across the interior of Alaska was inundated with river water and icebergs. Most of the villagers had to leave their homes and worldly possessions only hours before the water and ice took over. The devastation is incredible.





But, some men and women did not leave despite the incredible risk to their lives. This picture makes my eyes tear up. We don't know the whole story, since the flood waters are just receding now. But, we've heard that dog teams have been living in boats or on house porches for days.



These pictures are copied from the Fairbanks Daily Newsminer.
You can follow this story on their website:

http://www.newsminer.com

There are various organizations helping these families including the American Red Cross of Alaska. You can follow the efforts of the Red Cross of Alaska on their Facebook Page.