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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

Thawing Permafrost and Subsidence Causing On-going Water System Challenges
Multiple buildings and homes, including the Point Lay clinic, were without water. The water main break was a result of the water main sinking down further into the permafrost.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States
Vladimir Romanovsky, Benjamin Jones, Anna Liljedahl , Russell Cameron

Urban tree damage in Montreal
Trees in urban residential areas seem to be more prone to damage because of an increase in windstorms and because of maintenance work, which has weakened trees.
Saint-Léonard, Quebec, Canada

Landslides and flooding after a record-breaking storm
In December of 2020 an atmospheric river brought heavy rains on top of a deep snowpack.
Haines, Alaska, United States

Visible Damage to Cancún's Trees
Trees which normally obscure the view of the sea, have lost all of their leaves.
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Extreme rain brings flurry of landslides
Large amounts of precipitation triggered landslides across Prince of Wales Island, blocking roads and damaging at least one bridge.
Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Damage from Fall Storm
Winds in Sand Point reached speeds higher than those predicted by the National Weather Service and caused damage to community infrastructure.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States
Anne Morris, Edward "Ted" Smith, Amber Hill

Recorded Tornado in Fort St. John
Tornados are a rare occurrence in BC and this tornado is the first one to be recorded in Fort St. John and surrounding area.
Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada

7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes King Cove
"I got under my kitchen table and it was very violent and loud and lasted quite a while. The tsunami sirens started right after it stopped."
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Permafrost melting is causing above and below ground tanks to shift
Thawing is impacting both above ground and underground fuel storage. They have started on a plan to empty the fuel tank and relocate it or fix the foundation.
Tetlin, Alaska, United States
Joy Britt, Vladimir Romanovsky, David Beveridge, Vladimir Romanovsky, Stanley Tayor

Kivalina Floods from Snowmelt
Unusually warm spring temperatures are rapidly melting above average snowpack, leading to flooding.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Millie Hawley, Janet Mitchell, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Ingemar Mathiasson, Richard L Thoman Jr, Chris Dankmeyer

Erosion in Huslia
High water in the Koyukuk River is causing erosion near Huslia as warm spring temperatures rapidly melt above-average snowpack.
Huslia, Alaska, United States
Crane Johnson, Richard L Thoman Jr, Jacqualine Schaeffer

Kolmakolfsky ice Jam Break - Kuskokwim River at Chuathbaluk
Dynamic breakup conditions are causing ice jams and flooding in Kuskokwim river communities, and significantly damaging infrastructure.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

Napaimute Floods During Spring Break-up
Warm May temperatures are rapidly melting the above-average snowpack in the Kuskokwim Basin. Snowmelt is running in to still-stable river ice, causing ice jams and flooding near Napaimute.
Napaimute, Alaska, United States
Crane Johnson, Edward "Ted" Smith, Erica Lujan

High Water Levels in Lake Erie
High water levels for Lake Erie have damaged infrastructure and closed businesses. Climate change, and land use change, is expected to continue some of these disruptions.
Leamington, Ontario

Thawing causing houses to slide sideways
Staircases are separating from building and utility poles leaning.
Noatak, Alaska, United States
Jeffrey Luther, John Warren, Chris Dankmeyer, Oxcenia O'Domin, Max Neale, Christopher Dillon, PE, John Monville, Abby Nelson

Sink Hole in Road Impacting Home Foundation
The ground under the new road is developing a sink hole and affecting the foundation of the adjacent house.
Noatak, Alaska, United States
Jeffrey Luther, Nellie Wesley, Paul Walton, Mike Brubaker, John Warren, Chris Dankmeyer, John Monville, David Beveridge

Overflow Flood Waters Threaten House and Road System
A hole cut in the ice has produced a lot of overflow, and flooding is now threatening homes and a state-managed road.
Newhalen, Alaska
Lexi Trainer, Sonny Lamont, Melany Eakin, Edward "Ted" Smith, Erica Lujan, Savannah Anelon

Erosion of Burial Site
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Ice Fog (Low Visibility) = Cancelled Flights
Open water over the ocean creates conditions that lead to hoar frost and rime ice. These conditions impact travel and are expected to become more common as ice forms later in Norton Sound.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Intensive rain flood and landslide
Storm event brought high winds and flooding and landslides to Ensenada.
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Richard L Thoman Jr, María Félix-Lizárraga

Storm Brings Flooding in Newtok
A storm system during the last week of November brought high winds and seas to Newtok and other western Alaska communities.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
Jacqualine Schaeffer, David Beveridge, Brian Lefferts, Edward "Ted" Smith, Gavin Dixon

Big Winds Blowing in Norton Sound
Local reports on the big storm system hitting northern and western Alaska.
Golovin, Alaska, United States
Racheal Lee, Anahma Shannon, Mike Brubaker, Edward "Ted" Smith, Carol Oliver

Settlement of Water Treatment Plant and Numerous Areas in Community
Ground settling is causing a wide range of impacts in Noatak, including to the water treatment plant. But are there benchmarks to monitor the changes in the water plant?
Noatak Alaska
John Warren, David Beveridge, Nellie Wesley, Vladimir Romanovsky, Brian Menghini, Paul Walton, Chris Dankmeyer, John Monville, Mike Brubaker

High Water in Selawik All Summer Long
High water posed safety hazards and resulted in the removal of boardwalk but also allowed boats to go further up river than usual.
Selawik, Alaska, United States
Ida Norton, Chris Dankmeyer, Crane Johnson, Tanya Ballot, Richard L Thoman Jr

August Storm Resulted in High Water
An unseasonable rain event brought high rainfall and led to high water, especially around noon on August 3rd.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States
Anahma Shannon, Gay Sheffield, Racheal Lee, John Henry, Richard L Thoman Jr, Edward "Ted" Smith

Storm-related Erosion in Shaktoolik
"We were lucky to have the berm in place. The next day, the water levels went down and the erosion was noticeable."
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States
Anahma Shannon, Racheal Lee, Jacquelyn Overbeck, Richard Buzard, Jolene Auliye, Gay Sheffield, Edward "Ted" Smith

Temperatures Rise Outside and Inside Buildings
Our operations and maintenance staff do their best to insure all mechanical systems are functioning properly. But several factors limited their ability to respond, including significant smoke from the Swan Lake wildfire.
Anchorage, Alaska
Shelley Griffith, Richard L Thoman Jr, Jared James, Travis Smith, Santina Gay

Trees Devastated by Spruce Bark Beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis)
"My family and I have been RV camping across Alaska for the last several years. This year, the mass amounts of dead spruce trees have been more apparent than any year prior."
Chase, Alaska, United States
Adrienne Fleek, Desirae Mack, Tricia Wurtz

Unusual Yellowknife Weather "Light Sleet"
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Sleet Storm
Not seen in at least my 15 years in Yellowknife.

High Water in Spring Leads to Riverbank Erosion
Above average snowfall at the headwaters of the Kuskokwim, and early break up, led to higher than average river flows past Aniak. The river banks are eroding, threatening community infrastructure.
Akiak, Alaska, United States
Richard L Thoman Jr, Max Neale, Elizabeth Buckingham, Ted Williams, Crane Johnson

Intrusion of Beach Stones and Saltwater into the Coastal Forest
French Beach Provincial Park

Flash Flood in Sao Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil

Fire Destroys Homes in Alexandra
Modderfontein, Gauteng, South Africa

Unusual Flooding in February
A warm winter storm leads to sea ice loss and flooding of homes in Western Alaska. "Damage to the foundation of the homes is all I think happened, besides wet clothing and a few things on the floor."
Kotlik, Alaska, United States

Aftermath of Nov. Storm at Kivalina
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) mortality from drought stress
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

High River Water Overflow
Heavy spring precipitation leads to strong river flow, sweeping away cabin and fish rack.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Landslides Disrupt Community Infrastructure
Landslides threatened community water supply, transportation, and residential homes.
Ivanof Bay, Alaska, United States
Moses Tcheripanoff, Richard Buzard, George Anderson

Water Pooling Around Houses and Flooding Ice Cellars
Permafrost thaw is affecting houses, roads, and ice cellars.
Wainwright, Alaska, United States

Utility Poles Leaning
Leaning utility poles in south Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

High winter winds and warm temperatures
We've had so much wind this winter, on the 15th of January, the winds were warm!!!!!!
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Paper Mill Dam: Swimming Hole Monitoring
Paper Mill Dam, Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Storm Surge
A strong storm impacting NW Alaska with high winds and sea level rise (over 6 ft) caused localized flooding in Kotzebue.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Record flooding levels on Okanagan Lake
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

Erosion Could Drain Lake at Anytime
Goldfish Lake near Port Heiden is on the verge of draining into the Bering Sea.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Chris Maio, Jacquelyn Overbeck, Mike Brubaker, Richard Buzard, Scott Anderson, Susan Flensburg, Erica Lujan, Moses Tcheripanoff

Earthquakes Change Well-water Quality
Residents associated poor well water quality with earthquakes.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Scott Anderson, Melissa O'Domin, Erica Lujan

Winter Storm Disrupts Village Communication
Winter storm shuts down communication services for the community.
Gambell, Alaska, United States

Coastal Erosion Damaging Boat Launch
Without sea ice, our beaches are eroding.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

River Erosion
River erosion along the Yukon River near..?
Yukon River, Alaska, United States

Rains Cause 1000 Year Flood
Six inches of rain fell in a three hour period.
Ellicott City, Maryland, United States

School Fire Raises Health Concerns
Ayaprun School Fire
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Coastal Erosion
Weekend storm eroded the face of the sea wall.
Togiak, Alaska, United States

Sink Holes next to Main Street
Koyuk, Alaska, USA

Extreme Shore Erosion
Loss of shoreline and subsistence camps.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Loss of Fuel Header Due to Coastal Erosion
Fuel headers leading to bulk fuel farm out of service due to coastal erosion.

Storm Surge
Early fall weather conditions brought on an extreme storm surge in a Norton Sound community.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States

Storm Damage
Series of storms contribute to flooding, erosion, infrastructure damage.

Sinkhole Appears Along Road
Sinkhole appears along road
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Sewage Lagoon Vulnerable - Coastal Erosion
Coastal erosion potential threat to community sewage lagoon.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Sink hole damages airport
The runway, built in 1958, is over-top of permafrost and frozen soils.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Road Washout
There were extreme rain events in September of 2012 that caused landslides, erosion and ultimately blockage of a culvert over Jakolof Creek.
Jakolof River, Alaska, United States

Unusual Lightning
Residents were amazed to see lightning actually arching down to the ground.
Atqasuk, Alaska, United States

Storm Disrupts Transportation
Severe storms wreak havoc to a Bering Sea community; the following weather conditions contributed to flooding, disrupting transportation routes, electrical transformers and seepage into local water wells.

Freezing Waterlines
12-21-12 Freezing waterlines - Evansville, Alaska, USA
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Water Shortage
12-6-12 Water shortage - Nanwalek, Alaska, USA
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States

Damage to ATV Bridge
Permafrost thawing causing bridge damage.
Selawik, Alaska, United States

Eroding Bluff Threatens Road
Eroding bluff threatens community transportation access.
Chevak, Alaska, USA

Heat wave across Interior
6-17-12 Heat wave across Interior - Galena, Alaska, USA
Galena, Alaska, United States

Buckland River Floods Dumpsite
5-23-12 Buckland River floods dumpsite - Buckland, Alaska, USA.
Buckland, Alaska, USA

River Bank Erosion
Erosion on the banks of the Koyukuk River is increasing in the community of Evansville and Bettles.
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Aleutian Avalanche
3-20-12 Aleutian avalanche - Akutan, Alaska, USA
Akutan, Alaska, United States

Community Water Distribution System Freeze Up
We performed a survey of community water lines to see how permafrost thaw and sinking foundations may be impacting homes, water and waste water systems. During the June visit we saw where foundation sinking was putting stress on pipe runs and junctions. Now in the winter we see evidence of freeze up in some of the homes where the junction boxes have been compromised, gaps in the insulation seal, and resulting freeze up and overflow of water.
Selawik, Alaska, United States
Tanya Ballot, John Warren, Mike Brubaker, Prithviraj Chavan

Erosion to Dump and Water Plant
Noatak, Alaska, United States

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