Search icon A magnifying glass. It indicates, "Click to perform a search".
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.
Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. HOMEPAGE
News

Photos and video show homes in Alaska ripped from their foundations as a massive storm surge — declared a disaster by the Governor — causes extreme coastal flooding

Kelsey Vlamis and Taiyler S. Mitchell
2022-09-18T06:13:52Z
Read in app
Two men walk through rushing water on Front Street, just a half block from the Bering Sea, in Nome, Alaska, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Much of Alaska's western coast could see flooding and high winds as the remnants of Typhoon Merbok moved into the Bering Sea region. The National Weather Service says some locations could experience the worst coastal flooding in 50 years.
Two men walk through rushing water on Front Street, just a half block from the Bering Sea, in Nome, Alaska, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Peggy Fagerstrom/Associated Press

  • The residual impact of Typhoon Merbok has flooded the Western part of Alaska.
  • Residents have evacuated as some of their homes are being torn apart.
  • Gov. Mike Dunleavy ruled the flooding a disaster emergency.
Advertisement

The western coast of Alaska was hit with historic storms on Saturday, causing extreme flooding that led to several homes being ripped from their foundations.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska declared the crisis a disaster emergency at a Saturday press conference where he also confirmed that had been zero reported injuries.

Related stories

"Just now, I verbally declared a disaster for communities impacted by the West Coast storm. SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) has received no reports of injuries at this time. We will continue to monitor the storm and update Alaskans as much as possible," the Republican governor said.

A home is seen floating in the Snake River near Nome, Alaska, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Much of Alaska's western coast could see flooding and high winds as the remnants of Typhoon Merbok moved into the Bering Sea region. The National Weather Service says some locations could experience the worst coastal flooding in 50 years.
A home is seen floating in the Snake River near Nome, Alaska, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Peggy Fagerstrom/Associated Press

The residual impact of Typhoon Merbok has hit regions such as Hooper Bay, Nome, Unalakleet, Shaktoolik, Kotlik, and Nunam Iqua, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The department also reported that the Old Golovin Airport is underwater.

Advertisement

In some areas, the flooding is suspected to have peaked on Saturday afternoon and will begin to decrease through Sunday, according to the weather service.

 

Hundreds of people on the coast had evacuated their homes to safer grounds — including schools — on Saturday morning when the storm started raging. 

Several homes have been reported to be floating in the flood waters, including three in Golovin, per The New York Times.

NYT reported forecasters believe the storm to be the one of "most powerful systems to move through the Bering Sea area in decades," as winds nearing the strength of hurricanes ran rampant through the region.

Advertisement

"There's a strong argument to be made that climate change tipped the scales to favor this storm," Brian Brettschneider, a climatologist based in Anchorage, told the Times.

Read next

Watch:

Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Jump to

  1. Main content
  2. Search
  3. Account