Anchorage adds to record homeless death total as major winter storm drops more than 2 feet of snow

By MARK THIESSEN
Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Four homeless people have died in the last week on the streets of Anchorage as a major winter storm dropped more than 2 feet on snow on Alaska’s largest city. The deaths bring the total number of people living outdoors in Anchorage this year to 49, a record, according to tracking kept by the Anchorage Daily News. Last year, 24 people died on Anchorage streets, with 11 of those in the winter. The storm dropped about 17 inches of snow at the National Weather Service’s Anchorage office by early Friday morning, the official recording station. However, totals of 30 inches or more were reported in other parts of the city, especially in higher elevation neighborhoods.