Skagway Alaska USA - Two rockslides in a three-day period last week have led to the full closure of the White Pass & Yukon dock at the Port of Skagway, and the dock is expected to remain closed for the remainder of the 2022 sailing season.
 
The website Cruise Hive reports slides on Wednesday, 3 Aug 2022, and Friday, 5 Aug 2022, both damaged the dock, with the Friday slide causing significant damage to shipping containers used to create a tunnel to protect pedestrians from falling rocks.
 
Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata has declared a state of emergency as a result of the slides, which should help the community attract federal and state assistance to deal with the mountainside above the dock.
 
"It's a tremendous problem. I guarantee you it is one we're going to solve before next season because we don't have any other choice," Cremata said at an 6 Aug 2022 meeting.
 
One of the two berths on the dock had previously been closed after a June rockslide and an engineering assessment that a possible catastrophic slide was possible for the hillside above the dock.
 
The WP&YR dock is the only one in Skagway capable of handling the largest cruise ships, so some are now bypassing Skagway for other locations.
 
Cremata estimates the city may lose as much as half its expected tourism for the cruise season.
 
The White Pass & Yukon Route, which is heavily reliant on traffic from the cruise ships, is Skagway's largest employer.