The series of Bering Sea storms that swept across Western Alaska last week with high winds and flooding is coming to an end, but the calm weather ahead may be short-lived.
On August 22, a high surf Advice for the northern coast of the Kuskokwim Delta from Newtok south to Kipnuk was extended until the morning of August 23.
According to David Dellinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Anchorage, the remnants of Typhoon Ampil can still be seen in the region.
“You get another burst of energy. It’s like the system’s last breath before it leaves the area,” Dellinger said.
Dellinger said the dramatic early start to the fall storm season is just the beginning.
“We’re finally past the end of Typhoon Ampil, but there are still some pretty large systems that will move across the Bering Sea over the weekend, particularly the southern Bering Sea,” Dellinger said. “And that will impact coastal regions as well. So we’re not out of the woods yet.”
According to Dellinger, the remnants of another tropical storm could also be felt in the region.
“It’s called Shanshan. That’s still pretty far south of Japan, but its trajectory puts it pretty close to where (Typhoon) Ampil was in its early forecast,” Dellinger said. “But a lot of the models are so different that I can’t even tell you what’s going to happen once it gets to the Bering Sea. But it’ll probably be moving in your direction by the end of next week.”
On August 22, the Alaska Emergency Operations Center reported that it was prepared to respond to all requests for assistance, but that no significant impacts to residential areas or infrastructure had been reported.
The second and strongest storm, which peaked on August 18, was a markedly different situation. Residents along the Kuskokwim River and further up Alaska’s west coast reported flooded homes, displaced boardwalks, flooded boats, and further erosion of already receding shorelines.
On August 20, some of these residents called KYUK to share their experiences in Yugtun.
Roland Andrew called and said: “It was like we were in the sea during the flood and looking around our village.”
Andrew is the tribal administrator of the coastal village of Kongiganak, which lies on the western edge of Kuskokwim Bay. The community was permanently completed in the 1960s by former residents of the nearby village of Kwigillingok in search of higher ground. This ground is apparently no longer high enough.
“Before the flood, a barge was anchored below our village. Later, we all realized that the barge was no longer there. The flood had pushed it far into the tundra,” said Andrew.
(YUGTUN: You will earn a living. Utumariyartuan-llu tua-i maaten ellangukut, barge artangqelallruuq kanani ketemteni kicaumauralriamek. Maaten anurvagaarraarcelluuku piukut keluqvani kana nunapiim-llu ani uitanganani kana-i. Keluqvanun tagtellrullinia kana barge- aq kanani kicaumalaalleq ketemteni.)
A little further up the Kuskokwim River lies another community, relocated Due to fear of flooding, Tuntutuliak was also under water decades ago.
Tuntutuliak resident Thomas Charlie called to say the flooding began with the first storm on August 16 and got worse over the weekend.
“The residential area is higher up and doesn’t normally flood. When the water was still high, I walked on the boardwalks and the water was about a foot high in the residential area on the tundra,” Charlie said.
(YUGTUN: Ulerpallruuq pagnall’ housing-aaq uitaviika, ulesqiyuitellruyaaqell
ava-i tang maaten mana nunangvailgan sidewalk-atgun taglua housing-aama
nunii carevpagluni 6 to – 1 foot etutaaluni nunam pagum qukaa.)
Far to the west in the community of Toksook Bay on Nelson Island, tribal administrator Robert Pitka reported unprecedented erosion. “It’s like the land is being torn away and washed to the rocks. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Pitka said.
(YUGTUN: Nuna Tua-i allgulriatun aterqelluku teggalqut qaingatnun pikiit tua-i tuaten tangeqsailamku ciungani.)
Reports from across the region, including comparisons to water levels during Typhoon Merbok and this year’s Kuskokwim River floods, show a historic start to the 2024 storm season. Now residents must wait and see what the Bering Sea cooks up next.
Visit the Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center website for the latest flood warnings or call the Alaska Weather Information Hotline toll-free 24 hours a day at 855-937-4977.
Julia Jimmie of KYUK contributed Yugtun translations to this report.
