Background Articles

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.

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.

Despite a general decrease in wildfires across B.C., the Dogtooth fire near Golden has destroyed structures and prompted evacuations, contrasting with the province's improving situation.

Unusually large amounts of sea ice have brought more polar bears from Northeast to South Greenland, with many unable to return due to currents.

The article discusses the high fatality rate of rabies and its impact on poorer regions, emphasizing the need for accessible vaccinations and refrigeration for prevention.

The CDC's new dog entry rules, including a microchip requirement and stricter vaccination protocols, will uniquely affect Alaska, especially for those traveling with dogs under six months or through Canada.

The project to clean the area around Khatanga started in 2023. The participants report that last year volunteers cleaned more than 200 tons of man-made waste along the 3 km of the coastline, the RGS website reports. The waste has been accumulating there since the Soviet times.

Western Canada is experiencing extreme heat, prompting health warnings and wildfire concerns, with measures in place to protect vulnerable populations.

Alaska's impending water quality regulations may necessitate advanced treatment for contaminants like phthalates in wastewater, posing challenges for local systems to comply with stricter EPA standards.