Background Articles

In Southeast Alaska, the changing climate means more deadly landslides, and in Anchorage, more heavy-snowfall events, according to Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy’s report.

A fishing vessel capsized in the Gulf of Alaska during a storm, leaving seven empty survival suits but no sign of the five-member crew.

A powerful "bomb cyclone" swept across the northwest United States, leading to the deaths of two people, widespread power outages, and significant damage from fallen trees and extreme weather conditions.

In Kotzebue, Alaska, local responders continue to repair over 50 properties severely damaged by a storm in October, focusing on essential infrastructure before winter begins.

At least 30 houses still needed repairs, cleanup was ongoing, and the city’s residents grappled with the need to fix snowmachines, keep their soaked houses warm and prepare for future emergencies.

Power was restored in Rytkuchi, Chukotka after a storm caused village-wide flooding.

A severe storm in Kotzebue, Alaska, caused significant flooding, displacing 80 people and damaging critical infrastructure, including roads and the airport.

This research compiles over a century of local flood data in Alaska to improve future flood risk prediction and planning, addressing the lack of accessible historic flood information for community and regional use.

Floodwaters from the Mendenhall River rushed under Sam and Amanda Hatch’s home last August at then record-levels. After the water receded, their house sank several inches into the saturated soil, shifting its foundations. As they rebuilt, the Hatch family decided to elevate their house by four feet on piers to avoid flooding in the future. Scraping together deals and favors, Sam Hatch said the whole process cost around $135,000. It was completed a month ago, he said.

Climate change is affecting all aspects of the northern housing industry, from the structures themselves to the transportation of materials. One way to fix the issue is to put more reliance on northern community-based knowledge..

As the US grapples with extreme heat, floodwaters force evacuations in the Midwest, including a submerged Iowa town.

Yellowknife is using water from Yellowknife Bay to refill its reservoirs due to unusually high outflow rates at a pumphouse, the cause of which is under investigation.

Scientists are enhancing flood forecasts in Juneau as Suicide Basin refills, following an unexpected record flood last year caused by rapid drainage.

This region endured similar major floods in 1922, 1942 and 1957 though the current disaster was "extraordinary and all previous 'records' have been surpassed," she added.The Ural River flooded Russia's Orenburg region in particular, while the Ishim — which feeds the Siberian regions of Tyumen and Omsk, and northern Kazakhstan — also burst its banks.

Melting permafrost in Nunapitchuk is causing severe structural damage to homes, leading to erosion, instability, and health issues for residents.