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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Fortified Arctic infrastructure needed in face of climate change, says study
Research suggests climate change is going to cause more damage to roads and other infrastructure in Canada's North than previously feared. The study has major implications for construction in the North.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Under the surface of Russia’s Arctic super-region is a looming disaster
Underneath the ground is a thick layer of permafrost and trillions of cubic meters of natural gas. Development is the main source of concern for the reindeer herders who increasingly are hindered by new pipelines, roads and railway lines.
Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

World's permafrost warming, with Siberia rising the most
Scientists say the world's permafrost is getting warmer, with temperatures increasing by an average of 0.3 C over a decade.
Siberia
CBC

The pursuit of climate change
Slik har Norge forandret seg. Sakte, nesten umerkelig.
Sør-Odal, Hedmark, Norway
NRK, Norsk Rikskringkasting

Yukon's fire season was one of most complex and challenging in years
The director of Yukon Wildland Fire Management says firefighters had quite a summer, as conditions seem to be changing in the territory.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Storms increasing & violent
A new report points to harsher more severe weather incidents happening in our province.
British Columbia
Castanet

First supplies arrive in Kivalina for access route
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Survived the landslide accident in Svalbard. Now comes the twins' story of living with climate change.
From Longyearbyen to Kiribati, Bangladesh and California. Author Teresa Grøtan has collected young people's everyday life with climate change in the book "Before the Island Sink."
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Aftenposten

Scientist warns of "seagrass crisis" in Caribbean
Scientist warns of "seagrass crisis" in Caribbeans MEXICO CITY (Rahnuma): Massive quantities of Sargassum seaweed are invading Caribbean beaches mostly thanks to global warming and countries should work closely with scientists for a sustainable solution, said a researcher at a leading Mexican university on
Ecuador
The Rahnuma Daily

Alaska village gets funding for erosion and other effects of climate change
A storm had destroyed Napakiak's boat and hovercraft landing, which residents relied on for food and supply deliveries, KYUK-AM reported.
Napakiak, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

The Kerala Floods
Since 2018, Kerala has faced increasingly severe and frequent floods, a stark contrast to its historical rarity, driven by factors like Indian Ocean warming and local environmental changes, underscoring a global trend of climate-driven extremes and the urgent need for improved flood management and climate adaptation.
Arukutti, Kerala, India

Wisconsin Reservation Offers A Climate Success Story And A Warning
Climate change is causing more severe flooding around the country, and a disproportionate number of Native American communities are on the front lines.
Odanah, Wisconsin, United States
NPR.org

Miami-Dade Home Values Influenced by Rising Seas
Single-family homes near sea level in Miami-Dade County are increasing in value at a slower rate than ones at elevation, according to a new research study
Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
CleanTechnica

U.S. Coastal Flooding Breaks Records as Sea Level Rises, NOAA Report Shows
The frequency of high-tide flooding has doubled in 30 years. Some cities faced more than 20 days of it in the past year, and not just during hurricanes.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
InsideClimate News

Erosion may force this Southwest Alaska village to move — again
This is not the first time the village of Chefornak has faced the threat of erosion and flooding, but relocating won’t be as easy as it was last time.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

New Study Finds 8 Islands Swallowed By Rising Sea Level
Need a reason to be concerned about rising sea level? I've got eight.
Nahlap Island, Micronesia
Forbes

Kenow Wildfire 2017
Alberta consistently sees an average of 1400 wildfires each year however, the increased economic costs due to firefighting, equipment, damaged properties, evacuations, insurance, remote housing and food can be a challenge.
Waterton Lakes, Alberta, Canada
Jason Giacchetta, David Oswald, Mike Brook

A heavy blow for a small community – Greenland rebuilds its communities
Greenlanders struggle to get their lives back together and rebuild the small communities hit by the tsunami earlier this month.
Nuugaatsiaq, Qaasuitsup Kommunia, Greenland
IceNetws

Karrat Fjord, Greenland Landslide & Tsunami
huge tsunami occurred in the Karrat Fjord on the west coast of Greenland, resulting in severe property damage and casualties in the tiny fishing village of Nuugaatsiaq. The seismic energy detected prior to the tsunami was so large it was first thought to have been the result of a magnitude 4.1 earthquake. However, the cause was a massive landslide on a steep slope of the fjord where millions of cubic meters of rock plunged into the water below, 32 kilometers northeast of the village. Forty-five structures, including eleven houses, were washed away or destroyed, and four people were killed.
Nuugaatsiaq, Qaasuitsup, Greenland
International Tsunami Information Center

Moving Meshik (Video)
This LEO Network video documents coastal erosion impact on the old village of Meshik in Southwest Alaska and the pending lake draining event that will take out the road still used by the residents of Port Heiden. The rate of coastal erosion here is one of the highest in the world. Scientists and community members are working together to document the impacts and develop effective adaptation strategies.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
ANTHC Center for Climate and Health

Climate change drives Solomon Islands' people of the sea ashore
The inhabitants of Lau Lagoon in Solomon Islands have lived in harmony with nature for generations. Now their entire way of life is vanishing beneath the waves.
Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
DW.COM

Work begins on $1M trench to stave off Matanuska River erosion
The 500-foot, rock-filled trench won't be as long as experts advise and wasn't engineered to protect private property.
Butte, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Miami Beach's Tidal Flooding Has Jumped by 400 Percent in the Past Decade
A UM study has found that tidal flooding has leaped by 400 percent in the last ten years thanks to climate change.
South Beach, Miami, Florida, United States
Miami New Times

Miami: How Rising Sea Levels Endanger South Florida
By century's end, rising sea levels will turn the nation's urban fantasyland into an American Atlantis. But long before the city is completely underwater, chaos will begin
Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Rolling Stone

400 plus Alaskans received financial assistance from FEMA, application deadline is Nov. 22
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has disbursed $3.3 million to help Western Alaskans rebuild after ex-typhoon Merbok struck the coast a month ago.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Communities consider 'managed retreat' from climate change
Ricky Wright points to the bank of a creek to show one way his hometown has been affected by climate change. Many banks have eroded or collapsed, and now some favorite fishing spots that were once on solid ground are reachable only by boat.
Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, United States
AP NEWS

Point Lay declares climate emergency
With homes dilapidating, shores eroding and staircases falling off the houses, Point Lay residents are living through some of the most severe consequences of the warming climate in Alaska.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Russian planes seed clouds as raging wildfires near Siberian power plant
Russian planes seeded clouds to bring down rain on huge wildfires raging in the Siberian region of Yakutia that in one place spread dangerously close to a hydroelectric power plant, authorities said on Monday.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia
ArcticToday

Canada’s disappearing coastline
Projections show rising sea levels could cause Canada’s beaches to retreat inland, in extreme cases by as much as half a kilometre. The best option may be to stand back and let it happen.
Canada's Beaches
The Globe and Mail

Girdwood faces high costs to repair aftermath of record-breaking storm, official says
The temporary repairs would consume about 60% of the town’s annual budget for contract work on roads, a Girdwood official said.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News look

Nez Perce Tribe leads the way in protecting the community from wildfire smoke indoors
The Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho is leading efforts to protect vulnerable community members from wildfire smoke indoors by distributing free portable air purifiers and providing education on indoor air quality. A nearby paper mill is a local source of emissions. But now, wildfire smoke is the main pollutant the reservation faces, a near-constant each summer.
Boise, Idaho, United States
KSUT Public Radio

In Fountain, Colorado, There’s Plenty Of Room For New Homes. But There Isn’t Enough Water
Colorado Springs' housing boom is expanding into nearby cities, like Fountain. But new homes require water — and there are currently fewer than 9,000 taps to Fountain’s water supply.
Fountain, Colorado, United States
Colorado Public Radio

The Big Thaw - Alaska becomes the nation's first frontier of climate disruption
Most of Alaska sits atop permafrost. But the ground is thawing, leading to unexpected and sometimes catastrophic outcomes — what scientists have called a “slow disaster.”
Selawik, Alaska, United States
Type Investigations

Over 1,000 Anchorage building owners warned of snow collapse risk and danger to workers
The city told owners their buildings should not be occupied until snow is removed if they have a roof at risk of collapse.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Monitoring Service for Multi-Year Permafrost to be Established in Chukotka
Chukotka lawmakers have unanimously approved a law protecting permafrost landscapes and establishing a government service to monitor permafrost changes.
Anadyr, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia
prochukotku.ru

Sea ice, storms and coastal erosion in Nelson Lagoon - Science Q&A with Reyce Bogardus
UAF graduate student Reyce Bogardus talks about sea ice, storms and coastal erosion at Nelson Lagoon, which is on the southernmost edge of the historical max...
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States
YouTube

Thawing permafrost could expose Arctic populations to cancer-causing radon
According to a new study, thawing of permafrost due to climate change could expose the Arctic population to much greater concentrations of the invisible, lung cancer-causing gas Radon.
ScienceDaily

Kenai Peninsula borough declares flooding emergency
Kenai River flooding began last week when glacier-dammed lakes burst and caused water levels to rapidly rise. Water levels were already high due to recent rainfall.
Sterling, Alaska, United States

White House officials working directly with Alaskans on the issues around climate change.
The White House’s newly-released National Strategy for the Arctic Region reflects a growing interest by the federal government in the ways climate change is affecting Alaska. And the challenges that brings for security and economic wellbeing for arctic residents. We take a look at a recent visit by White House officials to the state, and what this new interest in the Arctic means for Alaskans.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States
YouTube

‘No home to go to’: Hundreds of evacuees need shelter as catastrophic Western Alaska storm empties inundated villages
Troopers said that they have suspended the active search for two men missing from Kwigillingok, one of the hardest-hit communities. The men are related to the storm’s lone confirmed fatality, a 67-year-old woman found Monday.
Kipnuk, Alaska, United States

Still waiting on Merbok aid, Shaktoolik braces for fall storms
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.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Haines disaster considered 200-500 year storm event
An assessment by geotechnical experts will need to be completed in order to know the stability of the slide and understand continuing risk.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Evacuation alerts in areas of Tagish, Marsh Lake, and Lewes River Road
An evacuation alert has been issued by Yukon Emergency Measures Organization for areas of Tagish, Marsh Lake and Lewes River Road. This alert is due to high water and flooding in the areas. Water levels have exceeded what they were in the 2007 flood.
Marsh Lake, Yukon, Canada

Updated Juneau maps add buildings to avalanche risk areas
Juneau, Alaska, United States
The Associated Press

Observed Evidence of Changing Forests:Testimonial for the Status of Tribes and Climate Change Report
The Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Tribes and Climate Change Program is publishing a report called the Status of Tribes and Climate C...
Spokane, Washington, United States
YouTube

In Newtok, decades of erosion have finally caught up to the school
Newtok's school faces demolition due to severe riverbank erosion, as the community grapples with climate-induced relocation challenges.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Africa's most populous city is battling floods and rising seas. It may soon be unlivable, experts warn
Cars and houses submerged in water, commuters wading through buses knee-high in floods, and homeowners counting the cost of destroyed properties.
Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
CNN

Scientists study accelerating land subsidence affecting coastal North Slope communities
CLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGEAnchorage Daily News When a
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Homeowners face rising insurance rates as climate change makes wildfires, storms more common
A growing number of Americans are finding it difficult to afford insurance on their homes, a problem only expected to worsen because insurers and lawmakers have underestimated the impact of climate change, a new report says. “If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention,” said California Sen. Bill Dodd, whose district includes the wine-country counties devastated by the LNU Complex fires in 2020.
United States
AP News

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