St. Michael

The Merbok storm of 2022 impacted the Old Russian Cemetery in Saint Michael. This cemetery was created in the 1830s when the northernmost outpost of the Russian American Company was established in that village. People were interred in that cemetery for about 100 years. The cemetery is on a 30 foot high bluff overlooking the bay.

Graves at the historic St. Michael cemetery in Alaska are eroding due to increased storms and erosion, prompting an archaeologist to recover exposed remains and coordinate efforts to re-bury them. Tom Wolforth’s prime mission was to appropriately handle the remains and make sure they could be reburied. He has been working closely with the tribe and the municipality to address their concerns. One concern, Martin said, was that these exposed remains could pose a risk of disease, especially if the dead had been buried during the time of the 1918 flu pandemic. But Wolforth assured them that if properly handled this shouldn’t be a problem.

Several communities in the Norton Sound are struggling with contaminated drinking water days after the significant September storm hit the region.

The erosion of the Old Russian Cemetery from the impacts of the storm Merbokis also an unfinished process. The earth is actively moving, falling onto the beach bit by bit and sometimes in large chunks every day, to reach a state of stabilization after the storm.

Unusually high levels of seasonal pollen create a visible sheen on water.

Erosion of Russian era graves is a concern because of history with epidemic, and tribal office has to collect and rebury remains.

This walrus was found by a local fisherman and reported by LEO Network to the US Fish and Wildlife Walrus Hotline. The carcass is thought to be too old for necropsy or sample collection.

An unusual growth was found in a snow goose (Anser caerulescens) while it was being butchered. The growth may be related to a previous injury or illness that the bird healed from.

Carcass largely decomposed and difficult to identify.

About 10 miles of above-ground water and sewer lines froze in mid-January. ANTHC suspects the lines were damaged when melting permafrost caused building foundations to shift.

10-10-14 Unseasonable weather - St. Michael, Alaska, USA

9-24-13 Bluff erosion - St. Michael, Alaska