White Mountain

After severe flooding from Storm Merbok, the waters have recided leaving the town digging out a giant sand box.

GOLOVIN RESIDENTS ARE IN CLEANUP MODE as their community works to restore power, phone service and clear debris. After the flood waters receded from the weekend’s severe fall storm, some locals are left with feet of sand in their homes. “At my place we’ve got three feet of sand we’re still shoveling out with the crew here, trying to get the sand out of the living area so we can get the sheetrock to go ahead and dry off,” Alaska Senator Donny Olson of Golovin said.

The cormorants moved in when the peregrins did not return this year. "We believe (they did not return) because of the bird flu."

A cormorant was observed in White Mountain. See also recent report from Golovin.

Many boats had to be secured & moved this morning. Hoping winds & rain slow down, but in the forecast.

Over the past five days there have been increasing reports of unusual behavior in a variety of bird species including brant goose, snow goose, white-fronted goose, and Canada goose.

Video shows unusual circling behavior of a brant goose filmed by a local hunter near Golovin, Alaska. Although the cause is unknown, this type of behavior is according to USGS, "highly suggestive" of an infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

This fox "was not scared of me" and it continued to repeat this motion as the person (Venessa Koonooka), watched for ~10 minutes.

A passenger on a small commercial plane flying between Nome and Golovin reported seeing 5-6 swans all motionless, floating on a pond. The reason of the behavior is unknown.

"We lost internet and a power outage effected several residential homes and businesses. Of course there was no way to travel. Thankfully no medical emergencies."

Unusual mid summer storm in Golovin and local observations about changes in the salmon harvest.

Local reports on the big storm system hitting northern and western Alaska.

Concern about permafrost thaw and possible impacts to underground water and wastewater lines.

Warmer summers in Alaska means that extra precautions are needed to keep fish cool from the time of harvest until it has been processed and put away.

Warm water near Golovin is hurting pink salmon. Many salmon caught had red speckled dots on flesh, raising concerns about food safety. Female pink salmon were seen dead in the bay.

"Its face was down in the mud and it was laboring to breathe. Its body condition was wasted and we could see its ribs."

When the green water is here, its dangerous to travel straight across the Lagoon to White Mountain. In the past we took the land route, cross on Kitchavik river and on up over land to White Mountain.

This was the warmest autumn on record for western Alaska. Local observer comments on how lack of sea ice is effecting fish and bird behavior.

Stormy weather stalled a search and rescue effort on Monday for a man from White Mountain, whose 4-wheeler broke through thin ice at the edge of Golovin Bay on Sunday.