Background Articles

Alaska is experiencing rapid environmental changes, including record-high temperatures, shrinking sea ice, increased wildfires, and unusual wildlife patterns, such as the decline of salmon and the rise of snow goose populations.

A new report reveals a rise in polar bears on land and dangerous travel conditions in Northwest Alaska due to climate change.

The report reveals an unusual increase in polar bear presence on land in Northwest Alaska due to declining sea ice, posing challenges for human-bear interactions and travel safety, while warming temperatures and shifting seasons complicate traditional travel and hunting practices.

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.

An aerial survey of the Kuskokwim River reveals widespread thin ice and large open holes, raising safety concerns for nearby communities.

People living in West Dawson are urging the Yukon government to do more to support them while they wait for the Yukon River to freeze over, and provide them with reliable access to emergency services.

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.

One of the reactors at a floating nuclear power plant in Pevek, Russia, was automatically shut down due to an unspecified issue.

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

Despite rapidly freezing Arctic waters, Moscow continues to send more than 20 years old ships without ice class to the Northern Sea Route. 'They are compromising security,' a Norwegian professor in ice navigation says.

The erosion that prompted Gov. Mike Dunleavy's action is advancing on the Northwest Alaska community's water lines.

Researchers believe that if permafrost thaw continues at its current rate and mercury keeps being released, it could pose a real threat to many communities throughout northern and western Alaska.

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.

The slide Sunday afternoon just above the Southeast Alaska city’s downtown sent tons of debris and mud onto a half-dozen homes, killing one person and injuring three.

Landslides have killed at least 12 Alaskans in the past decade and destroyed homes and critical infrastructure.

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.

The EPA settled with Red Dog Mine for failing to identify hazardous waste for over four years, marking the mine's largest violation in its 30-year operation.

As bird flu cases go underreported, health officials risk being slow to notice if the virus were to become more contagious. A large surge of infections outside of farmworker communities would trigger the government’s flu surveillance system, but by then it might be too late to contain.