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.

Community gravel source and old dump site threated by erosion.

The collapse was documented with drone imagery as was a permafrost rebound signature in the river water.

Noatak has lost 19' of river bank since May 19th. Now the road to the community gravel source is failing.

Community Water System at Risk: Extreme precipitation throughout the summer and sustained high water has resulted in erosion of the location for the water transmission line and Noatak's two water wells.

Unusual high water all summer in Noatak, causing massive erosion towards the airport and old buried landfill, exposing old trash into the river.

River erosion in Noatak is posing a threat to wells and transmission lines along the bank as the river ebbs closer.