Megastorm Batters Nome and West Coast of Alaska
[NOAA Satellite image of massive Bering Sea Storm]
For those following the megastorm that made landfall in Western Alaska last night, check out the #akstorm hashtag on Twitter. There are at least a few folks out there who are tweeting the latest information from the ground, which is being picked up by news organizations, and those wanting to know the latest information about conditions and safety of the residents there.
@akscojo is tweeting from Nome and reports that flying debris from the library knocked out power lines, leaving part of the city with no power, but that most is restored now. The Snake River is rising, and only 2-3′ below the bridge. The normal clearance is 10 feet, and if the bridge washes out, residents will be cut off from the airport. The state has tried to barricade East Front Street, where businesses and residents have nailed plywood over windows and doors to minimize damage from high winds and expected flooding from storm surge.
Reports from a Mudflatter further south in Ugashik indicates that they missed the worst of the storm.
Check in for updated information and photos coming at KNOM’s website HERE.
You can also follow updates on the U.S. National Weather Service’s Facebook page for Alaska HERE. They warn not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the graph below which shows water levels and wind speed subsiding.
Shown is the water level (top graph) and winds (bottom) for Nome. Notice there is a downward trend. DON’T BE FOOLED BY THIS! We expect the water levels to rise through this afternoon in Nome and elsewhere in Norton Sound. Many other locations have not seen the worst of the coastal flooding. In fact, locations around Kotzebue Sound haven’t seen any rises yet. The surge will be coming later today and tonight. Please take precautions to protect yourself!
Our best wishes to all out on the coast weathering the storm. Stay safe.
I think Mega storm has that much more of a realistic atmosphere than his elder sibling about him. And they can destroy our house and other properties.
It is meds night (big whoop), and I need to go plug in and sleep though it. Please know that my prayers are with those in this mess.
AKM, I am so very far away. Would you please list donation sites for recovery efforts if there are any later on? Thank you.
Peace out!
Waiting to hear from mudpup Man_from_Unk in Nome area.
Alex in Bethel?
Best wishes to all.
Thanks, Pi – am anxious to hear about BET too!
I read in the local obituaries today that the gentleman that sold me my supplemental,Medicare insurance policy passed away last Friday. Insurance sales must be fraught with stress or mayhaps its just a coincidence. Anyway,I just mentioned this because he lived near the Little Sioux River,down in the valley and he always had scads of bluebirds around his place. Bluebirds are harbingers of spring and happiness and I can’t seem to attract them around me. I wanna be happy every day and bluebirds would sure help. If endorphines make you happy,then bluebirds are endorphines on steroids.
Mikey – here’s the best I can do:
http://youtu.be/1HRa4X07jdE
There’s a nice, rarely-sung intro to this that I used to do in close English music hall-style harmony with the Duke, but I can’t find a youtube version.
Here’s video of the storm from Little Diomede:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0DNnKlc9kM&feature=youtu.be
The NOAA satellite image is stunning; I wish it were only art work. Everyone in the Lower 48 who follow Mudflats and the other Alaskan websites are hoping that the residents affected by the storm fare well and stay warm and safe throughout.
On another subject, the Republican debate (one of their 18 free television specials) is in our former hometown, on the campus of the university where my husband taught for many years. I’m personally not so sure that a public university should be used for a partisan political fake reality show, but no one asked for my opinion. Needless to say, we will not be watching.
Stay safe all, wherever you are. AKM, can you post any info you may have on where to send donations to help once things down?
I’m very worried about Kivalina. I read a tweet somewhere that said they were declaring a disaster. Has anyone heard?
I have heard from a couple of friends in the general area of the storm that Pt Hope was moving people to higher ground, the school I believe, as they were getting 95 mph winds. Nothing for sure yet on Kivalina. Will keep my ears tuned.
PS — it was good to hear that all is well in Ugashik!
This storm went right on north of us overall, for which all of us in the area are ever thankful for!!
We got the crap whipped out of us enough in the last 2 weeks with 3-4 days of winds of 50+kts and tide surges pushing out 24′ high tides up another 3-8′. Thank heavens we also did not have any heavy ice yet this year to have pushed up with the tides.
No one was hurt and we are all praying that the same is said when all is done farther up north!! he tide surges and ice is what has me worried the most for those up north.
Thank heavens most fishing boats are out of the main storm and I agree that even with a 132′ boat 30ft waves makes you feel damn small and alone!!
I hope that all the people caught up in this storm will remain safe, and that the worst of it is over quickly and the damage is minimal. Take care, Alaska!
it sounds as if this is part snow storm, part hurricane and part tsunami. please be so very careful dear Pups. you are every one precious and i am thinking of you. please check in as soon as you are able.
Part climate change. Perhaps a big part.
Stay safe and warm all you Alaskan Mudpuppies!
some ships captain was just on CNN and said he had just come through thirty foot waves with a fishing boat of 132 feet. Can’t even imagine what it would look like,let alone experience a storm of that ferocity. The hideo from land with hurricane like winds is freezing my blood. Don’t make me send Mag from Arizona up there to rescue you. Stay safe and sound indoors.
It is a testament to the Alaska fishing fleet that the Coast Guard was not called out for a single at-sea rescue yesterday. Not only was it to protect themselves, the fishermen know better than all of us what kind of danger it puts the Coasties in to have to rescue them in weather like that. Casual boaters can learn a lot from the professionals.
Coasties are my heroes.
The Coast Guard already has an extremely challenging job in the northern Pacific and Atlantic without the ignorance and arrogance of people making it more difficult and dangerous.
Kudos to the fishermen and women who made the right decision to find safe harbor, thereby protecting themselves, their boats and the members of the Coast Guard who serve them.
May they all come through the storm safely.
New word: hideo. Definition: video of something hideous. Credit: mike from iowa, 2011.
Thanks for the compliment, old dear, but me blood has thinned considerably since I moved down here. I’ll leave the rescuing to the Coast Guard, god bless them, and may they not have to do a lot of it this time.
Stay safe and warm, mudpups. You’re in my thoughts.
Still sending warm vibes and good thoughts to my neighbors in the Northwest– be safe, mudpups. We’ve experienced many severe blizzards packing powerful winds, but not quite like this. yikes.
Thanks for the updates.
Sounds like it’s going to be the storm surge with accompanying ice that could be the worst problem. Also, the massive erosion that is expected in areas that are already feeling terrible effects of that because of global warming. We won’t really know how the storm affected things until after that all settles out.
A storm surge with ice could be serious! Now just add a little oil.
Hope all stay safe.
As bad as it must be, it was good to hear bits of good news like the power coming back on in Nome and the feedback from Ugashik. Hopefully there will be more good news coming in over the next few hours.
Still, any storm brings hardship and heartache. Take care, Alaska.
My heartfelt wishes for a rapid end to the storm.