LEO Network
13 October 2017

In Port Heiden, Recent Storms Exacerbate Old Problem

Port Heiden, a village on the Alaska Peninsula, has been dealing with accelerated erosion caused by recent Bering Sea storms. Trained monitors in the village have measured up to 100 feet of erosion along different sections of the coastline in the past year. The village has been fighting to stay above water for decades, and has been building homes on higher ground away from the old village site since the 1980s. However, the issue is not as simple as abandoning the old town, as there is the issue of what to do about the old buildings and the loss of safe harbor. The continued erosion is also affecting the new town, with erosion getting to the roads near the school. Despite the challenges, the community remains motivated to find solutions.


Read On Alaska Public Media (English)
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Port Heiden, Alaska, United States


Photo M. Brubaker
Land