Storm-related Erosion in Shaktoolik

Observation by Jolene Auliye:

With 40 mph SE winds, and winds gusting up to 55 mph, Shaktoolik's berm saved the community from what could have been a disaster. Water levels were rising, the ocean swells were splashing over the berm, ocean foam was blowing around the community, and the land was eroding. Every now and then, the house would shake. The logs in the ocean moved like they were nothing, some piling over the berm. We were lucky to have the berm in place. The next day, the water levels went down and the erosion was noticeable.

Jacquelyn Overbeck with the Coastal Hazards Program at the Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) writes:

The storm berm is doing precisely what it was designed to do--take the brunt of the wave energy from storms so that erosion and flooding behind the berm is minimized. DGGS is planning to travel to Norton Sound to measure erosion at communities, including Shaktoolik. These plans are for the end of August. The measurements should give an idea of how much of the berm was eroded during the storm.

Comments from LEO Editors:

This is the second post LEO has received that documents the impacts of the recent storm that reached Norton Sound on August 2nd. This observation has been shared with the Norton Sound Health Corporation Environmental Health Department, Kawerak Environmental Department, the Bering Strait Marine Advisory Program, The State of Alaska Coastal Hazards program and the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). The SEOC is reaching out to communities along the west coast of Alaska for reports of damage to homes or infrastructure, or community requests for state assistance.