Concern about permafrost thaw and possible impacts to underground water and wastewater lines.
Permafrost thaw is causing trail in Golovin to erode.
The storm raises local concerns about food security and preparedness for transportation emergencies.
Permafrost thaw is affecting houses, roads, and ice cellars.
Thawing permafrost is warping water and sewer lines. Along the coast and rivers, erosion is threatening the lakes that communities use for drinking water or the lagoons where they dump sewage.
Because ice makes up a good portion of the underground foundation of northern Alaska, thawing has dropped the landscape as much as 3 feet in some places.