August Storm Resulted in High Water

Observation by John Henry:

This storm occurred earlier than normal, in August, when one sees an event in October or November and into the following year in February. In addition, the water level was significantly high.

On Saturday, August 3rd, I took two sets of photos, one slightly after 7 AM and the other between 4 and 5 PM of that day. There were high gusts of wind with water extending on the riverine segment of the Kowuwegoki Slough, past the bridge, and into the flats. Reviewing some of the Facebook posts, I noted key items of interest: the water level seemed highest near noon; some people have commented on how unusually high the water was.

Comments from LEO Editors:

The Anchorage Daily News reported that more than 4 inches of rain fell in a single day over some areas of the Seward Peninsula during the rain event over the first weekend in August. LEO contributor Rick Thoman is quoted in the article saying:

The rain mostly came in two shots, with a 16-hour break. The atmosphere had an extremely high moisture content. There was even flooding on the Dalton highway.

The rainfall comes after record heat, which led to drought conditions across much of the state.

This observation has been shared with the Norton Sound Health Corporation Environmental Health Department, Kawerak Environmental Department, the Bering Strait Marine Advisory 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.