Shaktoolik

Shaktoolik has lost its berm to the storm that’s hammered Western Alaska over the weekend, according to Mayor Lars Sookiayak. The berm was all that protected the small village from the sea. “It really saved us from the first hit that came in this morning,” one resident said. 

Eugene Asicksik, the mayor at the time, had watched Shaktoolik’s shoreline erode for years. After the September 2013 storm threw tree-sized driftwood dangerously close to the homes, Eugene knew something had to be done to protect the community. He turned to beavers for inspiration, designing Shaktoolik’s first storm surge berm based on the impressive beaver dams upriver.

"We were lucky to have the berm in place. The next day, the water levels went down and the erosion was noticeable."

Norton Sound residents have reported salmon die-offs in unusually large numbers during the last week. According to the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC), dead pre-spawned pink salmon were found in multiple river systems over the weekend.

The rehabilitation center in Seward doesn’t usually get bearded seals, which live much farther north.

Several dozen worms were observed during a Beluga hunt in Norton Bay.

Hunters noticed some herring were starting to spawn near Cape Denbigh. The herring scheduled to arrive on May 25th, are over a week early.

1-23-14 Coyote sighting - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

1-20-14 Snow then rain - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

Early fall weather conditions brought on an extreme storm surge in a Norton Sound community.

10-24-13 Warm weather delays subsistence - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

6-8-13 Low water level - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

Shaktoolik, a village in Alaska, is still waiting for aid from FEMA to rebuild a protective berm that was destroyed by a typhoon, leaving the community vulnerable to storms and erosion.