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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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High winds knock out power, damage buildings in Kuskokwim Bay
Winds of up to 85 mph ripped up the Southwest Alaska coast on Friday, upending smokehouses, tearing electric lines and flinging a house across the road.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Lineup of Storms and Unseasonable Weather
Multiple storms and warm weather in St. Mary's.
Saint Mary's, Alaska, United States

Alaska gets federal disaster help after North Slope storm
A September storm caused damage in Utqiagvik, and Gov. Bill Walker declared a disaster there last month.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

After responding to 3 vehicles that broke through ice so far this year, N.W.T. gov't asks public to be careful
The number of vehicles reported to have gone through the ice around Yellowknife continues to rise. According to the N.W.T. Department of Environment, its spill response team has responded to three vehicles through the ice so far this year.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC News

Suspected stolen vehicle falls through thin ice on Chena Lake
A borough employee who went to measure ice at Chena Lake got first-hand evidence that the lake ice ready for vehicles. “Lo and behold, there was a truck upside down on the bottom in about 25 feet of water,” Haas said. “No one was in it.”
Chena Lakes, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Slow River Freeze Up and Difficult Travel Conditions
Unusually warm temperatures for an extended period this winter has affected the ability to travel because the river isn't freezing over.
Galena, Alaska, United States

Seward Highway reopened after landslide
Temperatures in the area were unseasonably high last week, reaching into the mid-40s, according to the National Weather Service. Then temperatures dropped below freezing Sunday and into Monday morning. "There's a lot of water flowing underground in this area," McCarthy said. The freeze-thaw "caused some instability and that made it slide."
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Warm, Windy, Snowy, Wet, Cool Days!
"Our roads are slippery when there would be snow to where the children were out with their sled. Planes never cancelled as much as this year to where the flights were backed up to 3 or 4 days. Lately, we've been seeing grasses regrowing after it warms up out there."
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, United States

At least 4 people, and 1 snowmobile, have broken through the ice in Yellowknife Bay
Darcy Bourassa was just walking around his house on Tuesday when 'I must have stepped right in the perfect spot and went through.' "What I think was happening here is there's a lot of snow built up it's really insulated in the snow and it hasn't been cold this fall or this winter so there's not a lot of ice penetration underneath that snow."
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC News

Officials are still scrambling to fix a rail link to Canada’s deepwater Arctic port
Seven months after flooding damage to a rail link cut off land access from southern Canada to Churchill. Manitoba — Canada's only deepwater Arctic port — government and business officials are still trying to find a permanent solution.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Arctic Today

Chinook gusts up to 80 mph knock out power around Interior
Golden Valley Electric Association crews are still working to repair damage to power lines caused by warm chinook winds that blasted the Interior over the weekend, especially around Delta Junction.
Delta Junction, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Mount Cleveland volcano spits ash miles into the sky over the Aleutians
The ash cloud from the remote volcano was detected in satellite data and was big enough for the National Weather Service to issue a warning for aircraft up to 20,000 feet above sea level.
Chuginadak Island, Alaska, United States

High winds, record-breaking warmth
Anchorage sidewalks were slick with ice and the roads were full of puddles because of unseasonably high temperatures.By mid morning the temperature had reached 46 degrees.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Houston Ship Channel And Galveston Bay Digging Out After Harvey | WAMU
The sediment and muddy freshwater that spilled into these Texas bodies of water are causing problems for the shipping and oyster industries.
Houston, Texas, United States
WAMU

Richardson Highway closed following avalanche and extreme snow
Crews are working to clear snow off of the Richardson Highway near Valdez, after excessive snow has not relented, and an avalanche has poured over the isolated highway stretch.
Valdez, Alaska, United States
KTUU News

Environment ministers on Barents coast to discuss Arctic sea safety and climate change
Visiting Vardø near Norway’s maritime border to Russia, the ministers will learn about Arctic sea traffic safety management.
Vardø, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
The Independent Barents Observer

Warm & Rainy Fall Season
The past couple years have been warmer than normal contributing to where the river is still flowing ice and with some of the plants still green.
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, United States

Alaska Gov. Walker declares disaster after costly fall storm on North Slope
The declaration gives the far-north community of Utqiagvik access to state money to help repair damaged infrastructure like roads.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Autumn storm that battered Utqiaġvik coastline caused more than $10 million in damage
The storm began Sept. 28 and continued for several days. A handful of Utqiaġvik’s roads were damaged or destroyed, and the community's freshwater source was nearly compromised.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Pacific Communities Building Resilience in the Face of Climate Change
SUVA, Fiji, Nov 8 2017 (IPS) - In the Pacific, climate change is an ever-present threat, undermining human rights, livelihoods, and security. Pacific Islanders are working with courage and resolve to build the resilience of their communities and to catalyse international actions towards ending global carbon pollution. While the Pacific has contributed almost nothing to the causes of climate change, the region is determined to lead the world towards a more just and sustainable future. And while often labelled as ‘small island states’, Pacific Island countries are more accurately characterised as ‘large oceans states’ as they are custodians of vast tracts of ocean, to which their economies, culture, identities and livelihoods are inextricably tied.
Suva, Central, Fiji
ReliefWeb

A Not So Normal Summer
Drought, causing low waters in Goodnews River, no blackberries, and early cool weather.
Goodnews Bay, Alaska, United States

Shifting permafrost threatens Alaska village's new airport
Tununak Airport near Bethel is facing a catastrophic problem, as airlines are refusing to land there due to the village's shifting permafrost.
Tununak, Alaska, United States
CBC News

Slow going in fight against deadly fires in California
The wind known as the Diablo is picking up again, the air is dry, there is no rain in sight and the killer wildfires that have scorched the wine country of Northern California remain almost completely uncontained. Officials warned Wednesday that some of the big fires could merge. Amid these grim bulletins, the huge utility company PG&E acknowledged that the extreme winds late Sunday and early Monday had knocked trees into power lines in conditions conducive to wildfires.
North Bay, California, United States
GoErie.com
Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Kristine Phillips, Joel Achenbach - The Washington Post

Lagarfljót River Has Flooded
Lagarfljót river, the river flowing through Egilsstaðir, the largest town in Eastern Iceland has begun to flood.
Lagarfljót River, Iceland
Iceland Review

Snow Falls In The Sierra Nevada On Summer's Last Full Day
Hurricanes have dominated weather news lately. When it snowed on Thursday in the Sierra Nevada, it not only added a new weather element to the news mix, it got resorts thinking about ski season.
Kirkwood, California, United States
NPR.org

Hurricane Maria’s aftermath: ‘There will be no food in Puerto Rico’
In a matter of hours, Hurricane Maria wiped out about 80 percent of the crop value in Puerto Rico — making it one of the costliest storms to hit the island’s agriculture industry.
Yabucoa, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
Alaska Dispatch News
Frances Robles, Luis Ferre-Sadurni, The New York Times

Hurricane Maria Makes Landfall in Dominica as Other Islands Brace for Potential Disaster
Hurricane Maria barreled through the islands that curve through the Caribbean.
Dominican Republic, Caribbean
The New York Times

For first time in 300 years, Barbuda is empty
When Hurricane Irma ravaged the Caribbean island of Barbuda, the storm left it uninhabitable." And, now, for the first time in 300 years, no one lives there.
Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda
CNN
Joe Sterling and Cassandra Santiago, CNN

Nahanni Butte residents told to stay out of community, as officials monitor nearby wildfire
Residents are now being asked to stay away from Nahanni Butte, N.W.T., after being forced out Thursday night by a forest fire burning close to the community.
Nahannie Butte, Northwest Territories, Canada

Skagway rocked by second landslide in under 2 weeks
Early Tuesday morning, a rockslide crashed into Skagway’s largest cruise ship dock. It was the second slide event in less than two weeks and caused a pair of cruise ships to divert to other ports. Some Skagway residents are calling on the city and the private company that owns the dock to take action.
Skagway, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

No injuries in Sitka Labor Day landslide
A landslide in Sitka early Monday afternoon stranded people on either end of the road system for about eight hours, but otherwise there no reports of damage or injuries.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

In maps: Houston and Texas flooding
Maps and graphics show the extent of the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston and Texas.
Houston, Texas, United States
BBC News

Residents warned to ‘get out or die’ as Harvey unleashes new waves of punishing rains and flooding
The devastating storm once known as Hurricane Harvey, already the biggest rainstorm in the history of the continental United States, delivered another punishing wave of rain Wednesday to Texas and Louisiana.
Houston, Texas, United States
The Washington Post

Harvey's Impacts Outside of Houston: Flood Emergency Ongoing in Port Arthur, Texas
Harvey has been devastating beyond Houston. Here's the latest.
Port Arthur, Texas, United States
The Weather Channel

Canadian Town, Isolated After Losing Rail Link, ‘Feels Held Hostage’
The last train to Churchill sits beside the town’s antique station, settling into place week after week.
It arrived on May 23, the morning when floods washed out the track connecting this frontier town in northern Manitoba on the edge of Hudson Bay — and it hasn’t moved since.
Once a symbol of expansion and hope, the passenger train has become a painful emblem of lost jobs, empty hotel rooms and mounting hunger for the town’s residents, and a bellwether of climate change for scientists.
Notoriously high to begin with, the price of groceries in Churchill has skyrocketed as supplies now arrive by plane. Even with emergency government subsidies in place, a four-liter jug of milk that once cost 6.19 Canadian dollars, or nearly $5, now rings in at 10.89. Two small bags of produce, containing just fruit, snap peas and beans, cost 82.99.
New York TImes

Worries mount over what busy mining road in Nunavut could mean for caribou migration
The Kivalliq Inuit Association says a road connecting the Whale Tail pit project to the Meadowbank mine, near Baker Lake, will bisect a caribou migratory route and will have more frequent traffic than any other mine in Nunavut.
Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada

Floods In South Asia Have Killed More Than 1,000 People This Summer
For the past several weeks, monsoon-triggered floods have devastated regions in Nepal, Bangladesh and India. This week, a new series of storms has brought everyday life in Mumbai to a near halt.
South Asia
NPR.org

How Climate Change Likely Heightened Harvey’s Fury
Several factors have conspired to make Hurricane Harvey so destructive in Texas, and warming temperatures are likely part of the problem.
National Geographic

How Climate Change Is Shaping the Floods of Harvey - The Atlantic
“Local rainfall amounts of 50 inches would exceed any previous Texas rainfall record. The breadth and intensity of this rainfall are beyond anything experienced before,” said a statement from the National Weather Service. “Catastrophic flooding is now underway and expected to continue for several days.”
Texas Coast, Gulf of Mexico, United States
The Atlantic

Wildfires are a climate change wake-up call
Wildfires are sweeping B.C.
British Columbia, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

'Historic Devastation' ahead from Hurricane Harvey
The remnants of Harvey re-intensified into a hurricane on Thursday, and it may become a major hurricane by Friday.
Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
The Weather Network

Alaska’s tiny Bogoslof volcano erupts again, sending an ash cloud miles above the Aleutians
The significant explosive eruption started around 10 a.m. Monday, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported.
Bogoslof Island, Alaska, United States

BC wildfires caused in part by and contributing to climate change
In some recent years, GHG emissions from BC wildfires have been more than from all other sectors put together
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
The Climate Examiner

As low Nushagak River restricts barge travel, New Stuyahok limits heating fuel
Koliganek and New Stuyahok are still waiting on their first barge of the year. Heating fuel use for residents and businesses in New Stuyahok is limited.
New Stuyahok, Alaska, United States

Sitka considers code changes in landslide zones
The state is currently mapping the potential risk for landslides in Sitka. This time next year, the Sitka Assembly will be presented with a community-wide map. Listen now
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Las Vegas hits 117 degrees, tying a record, as the Southwest bakes
Dozens of flights out of Phoenix, Arizona, have been cancelled because of extreme heat.
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
latimes.com

Western Greenland could see more flooding like Saturday's tsunami
A 300-metre wide, 1,000-meter high rock slid into the sea causing the initial wave and more of the rock face is unstable.
Nuugaatsiaq, Qaasuitsup, Greenland

American Airlines Cancels 38 Phoenix Flights Due to Heat
American Airlines has canceled 38 flights in and out of Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon because of extreme heat.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona, United States
NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Snow cancels Yukon-Alaska bike race for 1,300 riders
For the first time in 25 years, the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay has been cancelled - unexpectedly due to snow, 'black ice and slushy sections.'
Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada

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

Dropping water level on Kluane Lake causing problems, MLA says
The water level on Kluane Lake began dropping last year after a river of glacial meltwater abruptly changed course, leaving docks and boat ramps high and dry.
Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory, 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

Shiveluch Volcano Erupts in Eastern Russia
The Shiveluch volcano in Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka region has erupted, spewing ash some 13km above sea level.Officials from the region's Emergency Situations Ministry have confirmed that the ash is not expected to land on nearby settlements, Meanwhile a "red warning" has been issued to passing planes, urging them to avoid the site.The Shiveluch volcano is extimated to be between 60,000 and 70,000 years old.
Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka, Russia
The Moscow Times

Climate Change Drives Up the Cost of Canada’s Northernmost Highway
Chris Burn at Carleton University is tracking the growing cost of maintaining Yukon’s Dempster Highway as warmer weather brings more landslides, washouts and other challenges.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
Arctic Deeply

1,900-acre fire spreads across Northwest Alaska
A wildfire is burning in a remote area of northwest Alaska. The Alaska Fire Service reports that the Zane Hills Fire was discovered this week, and mapped at 1,900 acres.
Zane Hills Fire, Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, United States

Ice roads ease isolation in Canada's north, but they're melting too soon
The country's 3,300 miles of ice roads are a lifeline for marooned communities during frigid winters, but climate change is making the roads unsafe much earlier.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Mild winter temperatures cause damage to roads in Finland
The past three winters have been particularly hard on road pavements. Wet winters with temperatures fluctuating on both sides of the freezing point have damaged even relatively fresh asphalt, leading to cracks, potholes and deep ruts.
Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland
Eye on the Arctic

Blizzard-bound Churchill awaits supply train
Northern Manitoba town's grocery shelves are bare as residents face another blizzard.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

1 year later, no answers on why truck broke through ice on Deline winter road
A year after a fuel-carrying truck broke through the ice on the Deline winter road, the N.W.T.'s Department of Transportation has yet to release the results of an investigation into why the accident happened.
Déliné, Northwest Territory, Canada

Waiting for winter: ice roads mean the North Slope can get to work
Every winter, a massive infrastructure project takes place on the North Slope one thats designed to disappear. Ice roads are built to minimize the oil industrys footprint on the sensitive tundra, and melt away in spring. Many of the oil industrys multi-million dollar projects on the North Slope cant be built until the ice roads are finished each year.

10 snowmobilers die in thinly frozen lakes in mild Northeast
Albany, New York, United States
Fox News

Warm winter sets back construction of Dettah ice road
Construction is beginning today on the ice road connecting Yellowknife to Dettah on the N.W.T.'s Yellowknife Bay, but a warm November means that it will open in January for the second time since the 2006/2007 season, and the second year in a row.
Yellowknife Ice Road, NWT
CBC

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