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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

Nome-Council Road passable again after suffering significant damage from severe September storm
Three weeks after ex-typhoon Merbok hit Western Alaska and breached the Nome-Council Road, Department of Transportation crews and local contractors finished their repairs.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Haines’ changing alpine permafrost
Alpine permafrost is thawing, according to an article by the National Science Foundation. This is bad news because thawing releases carbon dioxide and methane and because it can cause destabilization of the land, as a couple of northbound drivers found out last week when their car was buried in the slide at 23 miles, as reported in a Chilkat Valley News article.
Haines, Alaska, United States
KHNS Radio | KHNS FM

Typhoon Merbok pounded Alaska’s vulnerable coastal communities at a critical time
The powerful remnants of Typhoon Merbok pounded Alaska’s western coast on Sept. 17, 2022, pushing homes off their foundations and tearing apart protective berms as water flooded communities. Storms aren’t unusual here, but Merbok built up over unusually warm water. Its waves reached 50 feet over the Bering Sea, and its storm surge sent water levels into communities at near record highs along with near hurricane-force winds.
Bering Sea
ArcticToday

Western Alaska braces for strong storm and possible floods
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Saxitoxin detected in regional clam
A six-inch butter clam harvested on August 28 three miles north of Savoonga tested positive for saxitoxins, or paralytic shellfish poison, Norton Sound Health Corporation Environmental Coordinator Emma Pate said.The clam itself showed high levels of saxitoxin present: it had 450 micrograms of toxin per 100 gram of body tissue. The Food and Drug Administration’s safety limit is at 80 micrograms/100 g. Pate, via the SEATOR lab, on Sept. 23 issued a paralytic shellfish toxin advisory to Savoonga and Gambell.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

HPAI confirmed on Yukon Delta NWR
Birds that USFWS sent in from the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for testing for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have tested positive. Sabines gulls, glaucous gulls, and black brant all tested positive for HPAI.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Bob Gerlach, Bryan Daniels, Michael Bruce, Angela Matz, Gay Sheffield, Brian Lefferts, Andrew Ramey, Louisa Castrodale, Eric Taylor, Dana Diehl

Vulnerable residents flown out of St. Mary’s as major tundra fire closes in
The City of St. Mary’s and its two tribes, the Yupiit of Andreakfsiy and the Algaaciq Tribe, held a community meeting on June 9. There, resident Geraldine Beans said that community leaders chose an optional evacuation for elders and people who are considered vulnerable. Other residents will have to wait. The fire is the largest in the history of the Lower Yukon valley. It’s been burning for a week and a half, since May 31, and has grown to about 50,000 acres.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Researchers investigate Yukon Delta bird deaths amid avian flu outbreak
By Megan Gannon
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Are seagull eggs dangerous to harvest due to bird flu?
It is egg hunting season in many rural Alaska communities, and harvesters want to know if they should be concerned about eating eggs from wild birds. According to guidance from the State of Alaska and USFWS, the risk from avian flu for people is very low.
King's Cove, Alaska, United States
Dana Diehl, Louisa Castrodale, Nadine Kochuten, Michael Bruce, Karen Pletnikoff

First case of new avian flu detected in Alaska
The advice to hunters, don’t shoot or harvest game that appears sick. If you found an animal injured or dead, just leave it there. When processing, wear rubber gloves and washing the area the game was cleaned on. You should also cook game to an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

First case of avian flu in Alaska identified in Mat-Su backyard flock
While the risk to human health is low, Gerlach has said that avian influenza could pose a threat to not only the state’s domestic birds but also wild birds, including geese, shore birds, vultures and eagles. There’s no treatment for birds that are infected, and the mortality rate for poultry and raptors like hawks, eagles or owls is especially high. Possible signs of infection includes the “sudden death of multiple birds in the flock, nasal discharge, sneezing, and coughing, or respiratory distress."
Palmer, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Goose hunting in times of avian influenza
"Our hunters have a vast knowledge on a healthy bird. They know what a healthy bird looks like. If a goose has the symptoms of avian flu … people shouldn't eat it," said George Diamond of Cree Public Health.
Chisasibi, Quebec, Canada
CBC

Migratory birds arriving in Alaska this year may bring avian flu with them
News of avian flu outbreaks in dozens of states in the lower 48 have wildlife managers and bird hunters on edge as the spring migration gets underway in Alaska.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

As permafrost thaws, a Biden-supported drilling plan is on unstable ground
ConocoPhillips' massive Willow project would emit 284 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over its 30-year lifetime.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Grist

Officials believe Hooper Bay's sewage lagoon broke open due to cold followed by rain
Just two days after temperatures dipped below -5 degrees Fahrenheit in Hooper Bay, they shot up above freezing, and it started to rain. That caused the water level in the lagoon to rise, and water started to flow through the crack, eroding the lagoon wall.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States
KTOO

As Caucasian Glaciers Melt, Locals Face the Future With Stoicism
Caucasian glaciers have lost a quarter of their surface area to climate change since the millennium. “We don’t have winters here anymore,” said Sergei Nureddinov, a guest house owner in the mountaintop village of Verkhniy Kani, gesturing to the glacier from his front yard. “The climate catastrophe is here.”
Кармадонское, Пригородный район, North Ossetia-Alania, Russia
The Moscow Times

I hope people talk about this storm for a long time
If that saying about Jan. 1 setting the tone for the year to come has any truth to it, 2022 is going to be a wild ride.
Cantwell, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Weather year 2021
In 2021, the average temperature in Norway was normal, while precipitation was 10 percent below normal. The year is nevertheless marked by great contrasts. The summary of the weather in 2021 was presented at the Meteorological Institute's annual event Climate Status on 5 January. Here you can see video footage of Climate Status (Vimeo)
Norway
Meteorologisk institutt

Ships complete 'historical passage' on Northern Sea Route
It has been an Arctic odyssey for the ships and crews that in November got stuck in sea-ice on the remote Northern Sea Route. After a month of icy captivity and subsequent icebreaker rescue, a convoy of nine vessels this week made it to safety in the Kara Sea. On December 7, a Russian nuclear icebreaker completed
New Siberian Islands
ArcticToday

Confused about the timeline for the Red Hill fuel storage facility and contaminated water? Read this.
This article details the history and environmental concerns surrounding the Red Hill fuel storage facility, including a significant fuel leak and ongoing debates over its operation and oversight.
Pearl City, Hawaii, United States
Hawai'i Public Radio

Climate change is making Glacier Bay unstable. Scientists are mapping the risks to visitors
Landslides and tsunamis aren’t historically common in Glacier Bay, but because more than half a million visitors tour the park each year park managers want to get a clearer picture of the risks of tsunamis and landslides, which have become more common recently due to a changing climate.
Alaska Public Media

The Last Ice
In Norway, glaciers are receding faster than ever and potentially will be eliminated by climate change in key tourist destinations.
Norway
NRK

Aggressive behaviour leads to Coyote Cull in Stanley Park
Coyotes in Stanley Park are displaying novel aggressive behaviour towards humans. Rates of aggressive encounters prompted park management to call for the cull of up to 35 coyotes and a temporary nighttime closure of the park.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Storms, high winds projected to be more frequent in Western Alaska
A University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist said that the reason why Western Alaska is getting windier is that it will soon inherit the Aleutian Islands’ storms. In today’s climate, the Aleutian islands are the windiest area in Alaska.
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

B.C. Wildfires 2021: Hundreds of properties on evacuation order or alert as wildfire between Oliver and Osoyoos spreads
As of Tuesday, there were 299 wildfires burning in B.C., with 40 evacuation orders affecting approximately 5,724 people (2,862 properties), in addition to 69 evacuation alerts impacting approximately 32,076 people (16,038 properties).
Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Western Alaska is experiencing an unprecedented rabies outbreak, officials say
For the first time in more than 20 years, rabies was confirmed in a river otter, officials said.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Climate change threatens to spread antibiotic resistance in the Arctic
Three miles uphill from the Bering Sea beach, gulls darting in and out of the Nome landfill. Some of those birds are being exposed to antibiotics and, through that exposure, picking up bacteria with antibiotic resistance.
ArcticToday

Canada: hummingbirds succeed in halting controversial pipeline construction
Work will stop until 21 August after the discovery of an Anna’s hummingbird nest during construction of TransMountain pipeline
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
the Guardian

Ticks — and tick-borne risks — are creeping north to the Arctic as the climate warms
The warming climate in Alaska and across the circumpolar North is creating new health and safety risks for people, animals and ecosystems. This piece is the part of a series that explores zoonotic diseases and other hazards emerging in a warming and thawing Alaska. One warm June day, Joey Ausel found an odd speck
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Polar bears forced to eat seabird eggs as Arctic hunting ground shrinks
Polar bears have started scavenging in areas populated by humans, as well as coming ashore at the same time seabirds are nesting and snacking on their eggs. This new behavior is due to shrinking of their hunting grounds, where they usually hunt for smaller porpoises and seals.
Mitivik Island, Nunavut, Canada
The Independent

Thaw-triggered landslides are a growing hazard in the warming North
Midway along the 92-mile road that winds through Denali National Park, at a spot with an elevation of 3,500 feet and spectacular views of the Alaska Range and the braided rivers that flow out of it, an unstable wall of rock, ice, soil and clay rises precariously. The slope into which the road was cut eight decades ago is already collapsing gradually — and there are fears that it could collapse much more suddenly in the future.

Here is how the B.C. government plans to eradicate murder hornets
Also dubbed the murder hornet, the invasive wasps threaten pollinators and have been found in communities along both sides of the Canada-U.S. border and on Vancouver Island. B.C. officials will focus on the Fraser Valley in their efforts to track and eradicate Asian giant hornets this year.
Fraser Valley G, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Is Awesome

Alaska could see more dangerous thunderstorms as Arctic sea ice melts and evaporation increases
Researchers predict a tripling of thunderstorms by the end of the century, which could lead to heavier rainfall and flash flooding, landslides and more lightning-sparked wildfires.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Assembly makes plan to address Haines' bear problem
The Haines Borough Assembly’s Commerce Committee began chipping away at a plan to address the borough’s bear problem at a meeting Tuesday. Proposals ranged from stronger enforcement of bear-attractant laws, to the development of education and grant programs to help people secure their attractants, to a complete overhaul of the community’s solid waste management system.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Evacuations In Siglufjörður Due to Risk of Avalanche
The Department of Civil Protection has raised the level of alert from Uncertain to Dangerous, due to a risk of avalanches. This morning it was found that an avalanche had fallen on the Skarðsdalur Ski area. Nine houses in Siglufjörður will be evacuated.
Siglufjörður, Northeast, Iceland
Iceland Review

Rare blizzard in Spain leaves 4 dead and brings country to standstill
The national weather agency reported that as of 7 a.m., the snowfall in Madrid reached a level unseen in half a century.
Nombela, Castille-La Mancha, Spain
CBS NEWS

– Me er ein kommune i kneståande som har ein lang veg opp
Barnehage, sjukeheim, rådhus, legesenter, barneskule, vass- og avløpssystem, eit bustadfelt og ei av hovudfartsårene inn til Gjerdrum er sett ut av spel.
Ask, Akershus, Norway
NRK

How the climate affects mountain passes – 33 times closed in December 2019, zero in December 2020
Mildvær har holdt de mest utsatt fjellovergangene i Finnmark åpne for trafikk hele desember. – Man må bare nyte det, sier trafikkoperatør.
Sennalandet, Hammerfest, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
NRK

Are you waiting for the snow? Then the meteorologist has bad news
It doesn't look like Tromsø will get snow for a while.
Tromsø, Troms, Norway

Clean-up underway in devastated Seyðisfjörður
Residents of Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland have been returning home this weekend, and it will become clear today whether people from the part of the town that was first evacuated will also be allowed to return home now that the intense rain that caused devastating mudslides in the town, destroying or damaging a dozen houses and completely changing the appearance of the town and the fjord, has passed.
Seyðisfjörður, East, Iceland
RÚV

Parts of Eskifjörður Also To Be Evacuated Due To Risk of Mudslides
The National Police Commissioner has raised the level of alert for the town. After a week of extreme rainfall, devastating landslides have hit the town of Seyðisfjörður in east Iceland.
Seyðisfjörður, East, Iceland
Iceland Review

Dozens of Haines residents evacuated from their homes as rain and landslides continue
Dozens more homes in Haines were evacuated Thursday night as rain continued to saturate the mountainsides near residential neighborhoods.
Haines, Alaska, United States
KHNS Haines

Climate change is increasing winter drownings: study
As winters get warmer, the number of drowning deaths is going up. "I just don't think we have appreciated that is one of the costs," said one scientist.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Cabin Radio

Changing climate means more landslides in future, scientists say in wake of Haines disaster
The region is prime landslide territory and a changing climate - trending toward warmer, rainier winters - is likely to increase the frequency of slides in the future.
Chilkat Valley News

Pebble Mine Denied Permit in Victory for Tribes, Waterways and Planet
Environmental campaigners stressed the need for the incoming Biden White House to put in place permanent protections for Alaska's Bristol Bay after the Trump administration on Wednesday denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine that threatened "lasting harm to this phenomenally productive ecosystem" and death to the area's Indigenous culture.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
EcoWatch

Task force recommends seasonal hire to address town's bear problem
This year has seen a dramatic increase in bear activity with bear-related calls up by 600%, according to police chief Heath Scott. As many as 22 bears have been shot in defense of property this year.
Chilkat Valley News

Arctic permafrost mounds: More than 400 sealed ‘craters’ are ticking time bombs
The mounds are believed to be caused by the build up of methane gas in pockets of thawing permafrost under the surface  Dissecting them like surgical abscesses to release the gas is seen as one solution to avoid future eruptions.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
High North News

Dramatic growth in glacial lakes globally
In the largest study of glacial lakes ever conducted, researchers using satellite data from NASA and Google Earth have found the volume of water in glacial lakes has increased by 50 per cent since 1990 as glaciers melt due to climate change.
Nepal
CTV News, Calgary

Troops set to work decontaminating ‘Siberian Chernobyl’ amid fears of ecological catastrophe
Radiation, chemical and biological forces tackle two million tonnes of toxic chemical waste with huge mercury stockpile and oil poisons.
Usol'ye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk, Russia
Siberia Times

What you need to know about B.C.'s so-called murder hornets
Asian giant hornets are the largest of all hornet species. This specimen was 1½ inches (four centimetres) long but they can be up to a centimeter longer and have a wingspan the size of a small hummingbird.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

‘What choice do we have?’ As the Arctic warms, Alaska Inupiat adapt.
“People assume that we’re entering this new Arctic, when in reality we have faced adversity for thousands of years. We’ve always been able to adapt and be resilient.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Here goes the landslide in Alta: – I ran for my life
Jan Egil Bakkeby had to flee for his life when he suddenly heard it start to crack in the cabin. Soon after, he witnessed the entire building being washed up on water.
Vuorašnjárga
VG

Scientists, forecasters ask Alaskans for river breakup information
Alaskans can help the National Weather Service monitor rivers during a potentially dangerous breakup this year through a University of Alaska Fairbanks citizen science project.
College, Alaska, United States
UAF news and information

Anchorage isn’t a ghost town yet. But it’s not the same.
In big and small ways, a pandemic has altered what Anchorage feels like to live in, from coffee to court to riding the bus.

With heavy snow, moose are top of mind for Iditarod mushers
Many mushers have seen high numbers of moose while training, spurring them to pack guns during this year’s 1,000-mile race to Nome.
Emmonak, Alaska, United States

In Juneau snow and rain, temperature swings are formula for higher avalanche risk
Looking at each snow layer tells a story about the winter.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Haines Borough convenes task force to deal with roaming, dumpster-flipping bears
According to Haines Borough Police Chief Heath Scott, the department received 182 bear-related calls in 2019. That is more than double the number of bear-related calls they received the previous year. Said Fish and Game bear biologist Anthony Crupi, “With really low returns of pink salmon and coho salmon this year, bears are really searching out any opportunities they can find” .

On land, Australia's rising heat is 'apocalyptic'; in the ocean, it's even worse
BRUNY ISLAND, TASMANIA (WASHINGTON POST) - Even before the ocean caught fever and reached temperatures no one had ever seen, Australia's ancient giant kelp was cooked.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Australia
The Straits Times

As Alaska permafrost melts, roads sink, bridges tilt and greenhouse gases escape
Alaska’s Arctic landscape is under assault from a warming climate, and it’s happening a lot faster than anticipated.

Chukotka Proposed to Declare Polar Bear Encounters with Humans as Emergency Situations
Chukotka officials propose to classify polar bear sightings in populated areas as emergencies to mobilize resources for managing these situations.
Chukotka, Russia
IA Chukotka

300-Mile Swim Through The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Will Collect Data On Plastic Pollution
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.
Forbes

Yukon Arctic Ultra competitors wary of cold-weather risks heading into Sunday's race
The temperature in Whitehorse has dipped just as competitors are doing final preparations for the Yukon Arctic Ultra. The 82 participants in this year's race should be well aware of the dangers posed by the frigid weather, after last year's serious injuries.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

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

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

Why Are Songbirds Across The U.S. Mysteriously Dying?
A mysterious illness that has been killing songbirds in mid-Atlantic states may have moved into North Carolina, according the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The disease — which cause the eyes of birds to crust over — has been expanding its reach since being reported four months ago in Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States

Tundra fire slows, but still aiming at Southwest Alaska villages
By Saturday, the East Fork fire had grown to just over 108,000 acres but triggered no mandatory evacuations.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

Air-dried stockfish of Northeast Arctic cod do not carry viable anisakid nematodes
A total of 80 stockfish fillets of Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua), traditionally open-air-dried in northern Norway, was examined for the presence and viability of larval parasitic nematodes of the family Anisakidae. Anisakids (particularly those belonging to genera Anisakis and Pseudoterranova) are of public health and economic concern globally, since they are responsible for an underestimated fish-borne zoonotic disease called anisakidosis.
Svolvær, Nordland, Norway

In ‘brutal’ heat wave at U.S. Open, Daniil Medvedev warns that a player is ‘gonna die’
Medvedev used an inhaler during a second-set changeover Wednesday while being looked at by a doctor, who checked his breathing with a stethoscope.
New York City, New York, United States

The focus of bird flu was eliminated in Chukotka during exercises
The article reports on a successful emergency response drill in Chukotka, Russia, where a simulated bird flu outbreak was contained.
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

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

Fatal grizzly attack renews debate over how many bears are too many
The fatal grizzly attack in West Yellowstone has sparked a debate over the number of bears, with some arguing for delisting and state management to prevent future tragedies.
West Yellowstone, Montana, United States
NPR

First Nation warns of 'ecocide' as spring melt poses risk to tailings pond at Yukon mine site
The Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation is warning spring melt could cause the tailings dam at the abandoned Mount Nansen mine in central Yukon to overflow or breach, which would send a toxic slurry into the environment.
Mt. Nansen, Mine

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

Bird flu concerns mean there will be no chickens, turkey, geese or ducks at the Alaska State Fair
Fair organizers say they’re concerned about the spread of bird flu.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

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

Iceland volcano: What happens if it erupts?
Residents of Grindavik have evacuated the town as the threat of a volcanic eruption looms over Iceland.
Grindavík, Southern Peninsula, Iceland
Al Jazeera

Orcas aren’t attacking ships — they’re just playful teens, scientists say
Since 2020, members of a small group of killer whales have rammed into at least 673 vessels off the coasts of Portugal, Spain and Morocco — causing some to sink. The Spanish and Portuguese governments responded by tasking a group of experts with determining what was causing the whales to strike rudders, which are used to steer ships, and how to stop it.
Off the Coast of Portugal and Spain

Gusty winds caused 2023 crash that killed ‘Flying Wild Alaska’ pilot Jim Tweto and passenger, federal investigators say
The renowned bush pilot was making a trip he’d made many times when the Cessna 180 crashed near Shaktoolik in June 2023.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States

Rabies Outbreak in Western Alaska
Alaska Wildlife News is an online magazine published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Alaska Fish and Wildlife News

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

Ice climbers and mountain adventurers fear climate change creates new unpredictable risks
Extreme weather, floods, fires and landslides related to climate change are shifting the way Canadian adventure sports enthusiasts approach backcountry — as risks get harder to predict.
Canmore, Alberta, Canada

Trudeau convenes emergency crisis team as thousands prepare to flee wildfires in N.W.T.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is convening a high-level emergency meeting to discuss the wildfire situation in the Northwest Territories. "This is an example of how bad the forest fires have become now in our country where we're seeing unprecedented forest fires ... my thoughts are with the community."
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

A nuclear-powered ship in Murmansk started to burn. Only few locals got to know about the serious incident
A fire broke out on the nuclear-powered container ship Sevmorput in Murmansk, but information about the incident was scarcely communicated to the public.
Murmansk, Murmansk, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

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.

Canadian Ice Service tracking icebergs in western Arctic for 1st time
Drifting icebergs can conflict with navigation routes and cause hazards for coastal communities and ships. Climate change is creating more ice shelf break-off than ever and scientists are keeping track of drifting patterns as a result.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

By road and by air, Yellowknifers head home after 3-week evacuation
A three-week evacuation odyssey ended for many Yellowknifers Wednesday, as people began to return home. The barricades outside of the city opened at 11 a.m., and cars began streaming in.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

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

Volcano Watch: Remembering 1992, seeing the ash plume up close
A retired volcanologist recounts his firsthand experience of the 1992 Mount Spurr eruption, describing the dramatic flight over a rising ash plume and the unforgettable moments above the volcano. His narrative highlights both the beauty and inherent risks of volcanic activity.
KTUU

ConocoPhillips Alaska says gas release source is controlled
The release was first detected last month at one of the company’s North Slope drill sites. A report from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, dated Friday, listed the cause of the release as under evaluation and said that future plans included a continuation of “source remediation operations.”
Alpine Field

‘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

Emergency cooling centres open as heat wave blankets Ottawa
A heat warning has been issued for Ottawa and the surrounding region.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Rabies Outbreak in Western Alaska
Arctic fox rabies is enzootic in populations of arctic and red fox populations along Alaska’s northern and western coasts. This means rabies is always present in these populations at some low level but periodically there can be outbreaks called epizootics (an outbreak in animal disease rather than an epidemic as is it is called when occurring in a human population). However, the winter of 2020-2021 ushered in a widespread outbreak with persistent and large focus in and around Nome.
Alaska Fish and Wildlife News

Why is Canada building a pipeline through a province on fire?
Drivers on the Coquihalla could feel the heat in their cars as they rushed to clear the highway before the July Mountain fire overtook it. Somewhere in the ashes is the route for the Trans Mountain pipeline, a project that would fuel the climate change that’s making these fires worse.
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Wilderness Committee

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

New work season opens for Denali Park Road bridge
The $100 million Pretty Rocks Bridge will cross the site of a landslide that has closed the road at Mile 45 since 2021.
Denali Park

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.
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

Fish and Game: Tapeworm 'common' in Alaskan salmon
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported larva of Japanese broad tapeworm has been detected in wild pink salmon from Alaska, the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game says the discovery is nothing new.
Alaska, United States

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

Yellowknife wildfire flares up in areas but is still being 'held,' officials say
As of Tuesday, the fire which prompted the evacuation of the city two weeks ago was still 15 kilometres west of Yellowknife. Fire officials declared the fire as "being held" on Monday. According to N.W.T. Fire information officer, it's still unsafe to bring back the bulk of the residents to Yellowknife.

The tropical disease that everywhere - Dengue Fever
Dengue is erupting in South America — and has even found its way to the US.
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Lake Superior Summer: Blue-green algal blooms come to a lake once believed immune
As the deepest and most northern of the Great Lakes, Superior was once thought immune to algal blooms, which is why it was such a shock when the first report of blue-green algae came in 2012.
Lake Superior
Great Lakes Now

Flood risk higher due to rising freezing levels and rain melting snowpack
Weather systems that carry warm air inland, bringing not just rain, but also pushing up freezing levels, causing rapid snowpack melting. The atmospheric river hitting B.C.'s central coast will also pose a risk in the Interior.
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
Castanet

Video probes methane emissions from Siberian sinkholes
Are the newly found sinkholes really new or are they just newly discovered? And how much of a concern at this point?
Yamal Peninsula, Russia
Yale Climate Connections

UN nuclear agency chief to visit Fukushima plant to see final preparations for release of wastewater
The chief of the U.N. nuclear agency will visit Japan next week to meet with officials and see final preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan
AP News

As Russia’s Permafrost Thaws, Ancient Pathogens Risk Re-Awakening
Ancient pathogens that have been preserved in northern Russia’s permafrost for millennia could reawaken as global temperatures rise, scientists warn, potentially putting humanity at risk of never-before-seen diseases.
Khatanga, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

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

Alaska Gov. Dunleavy wants to transplant deer into the Mat-Su for hunters. State biologists say the project is likely to fail.
A proposal to relocate Sitka black-tailed deer into areas crisscrossed with roads, farms and established wildlife populations may ultimately cause more problems than it’s worth, says an internal report from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Prey driven away by wildfire, YKDFN Chief says wolves are turning to Yellowknife for food
Fred Sangris said there isn't a big population of wolves in the area of Yellowknife, Ndilǫ and Dettah — but sightings are happening more often because they're hungry and venturing near communities in search of food.

Most of Anchorage safe from tsunami, but new report notes threat from worst-case scenario
The risk of a tsunami hitting Anchorage – Alaska’s largest city, at the head of Cook Inlet – has been the subject of debate for years.

State officials extend studded-tire removal deadline by 15 days
Most of Southcentral Alaska has seen near record-setting snowfall this winter. The state of Alaska extended its annual deadline for residents to swap out their studded winter tires by 15 days due to what they called “prolonged winter weather.”

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