The ice on Alaska rivers has begun to break apart and creating jams in certain places, especially those in eastern Interior as well as Western Alaska.
This could mean that there is active flooding in certain areas and warnings about flooding in other places.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Monday issued the state’s disaster declaration to communities located along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. This declaration could be eligible for financial aid.
Meteorologist Mike Ottenweller with the Alaska Pacific River Forecast Center states that it’s been a lively breakup thus far, following an icy April and a fast mid-May warmup.
Listen:
The transcript that follows has been edited lightly to improve clarity.
Mike Ottenweller: We’d sort of thought Eagle could be a potential spot hotspot, should you’re looking for it, and that could be jammed. When we entered both Friday and Saturday we did notice an ice blockage just across the river from Eagle. It also backed up in substantial amount and let the water begin rising in Eagle. Eagle is, I believe was actually quite fine. They did experience some minor flooding, but all everything, that was just the beginning of the future. After the breakup started to progress past Eagle in the early hours of Saturday morning, the next community located on the Yukon was Circle. It was at night, on Saturday night, when we began to hear stories from the River Watch team and from the state of Alaska that water levels were indeed rising, and was rising quite rapidly, all the way through Saturday night. Then, overnight on Saturday night was the most severe of the flooding into Circle. This is when we witnessed the conditions essentially crest in the area, with the water rising to a major flood levels and possibly setting the record for all time in this community. There was a significant amount of damage that was reported from Circle. Some homes were covered in water. Some homes were taken off their foundations and washed downstream in good way and certainly a number more structures such as such as recreational cabins, and such, were submerged and completely destroyed.
Casey Grove: Of course there is a reason. The Yukon River continues on down from there. We’re here Monday, discussing this. What’s happening now You know, the river downriver of Eagle or Circle?
Mike Ottenweller Mike Ottenweller we did notice some signs of a minor flood further downstream over the weekend and into on Sunday night into Monday. It was near Fort Yukon. At the moment, Fort Yukon continues to be under a flood alert. Also, we’ve just in the last section released a flood warning to Stevens Village as well. There’s a significant bank-to-bank portion of ice which is currently in the upper reaches to Stevens Village. We believe that it has gone through Beaver however, it’s yet to clear clearly to Stevens Village, downstream a small distance. This is the region we’re focusing on now, in case this breakup jam, if one would call it that, the breakup front is moving further downstream. This is Stevens Village that we think is the next target. Then, of course, we’ll continue to descend from there, keeping watch on the communities while we travel and looking back towards what we call the Rampart area, and finally towards the middle Yukon which is where we’ll get towards Tanana and other places like that.
Casey Grove: Mike I’m also discussing Western Alaska, and of course in a lot of areas, that’s Kuskokwim River. Kuskokwim River. What’s the current situation?
Mike Ottenweller Mike Ottenweller although the Yukon has had a rough beginning however, the Kuskokwim also has had some of the most dynamic breaks. It’s a bit similar to the timing, but nevertheless, it’s been a long time since the normal. We would typically observe Crooked Creek breakup on the 4th of May, but now we’re in mid-May, talking about it. Saturday night was when we witnessed a major increase in the river for the people in Crooked Creek. It was our first significant impact. Red Devil did also have several river rises and some small impacts and minor flooding. However, it was Crooked Creek that experienced the largest flooding. In the last few days, we’ve been hearing about the water leaking into the second story of several houses. There was no way to cross the roads by vehicles. So, people were getting together as a group and with boats to ensure everyone was secure. They also hid inside the school. We also have reports of people possibly staying in their boats for the night and just doing whatever they could to stay out of those waters, specifically during the dark hours of the day, when it’s extremely dangerous to navigate when there’s an ice blockage.
Casey Grove: That could be a rather tense scenario. In addition is there any areas further downriver from the ones you’re looking at which might be susceptible to flooding and possibly have flood watch in place?
Mike Ottenweller: So, there’s a kind of bad news-good information situation in the Kuskokwim. This means that negative news one of at the forefront of our worries, right this moment. We have an alert for flooding in Napaimute up down to Aniak. So that’s our region of concern for the moment. However, the good news the good news is that once we’ve gotten past the Aniak region and downstream, we’re beginning to see more flowing water coming from tributaries which flow in from sloughs and feeder networks that feed into the main river’s stem. It’s helping to break the ice prior to the breakup front. So we believe that as the breakup jam has passed Aniak the area, we will have things cleared out fairly efficiently. This doesn’t mean that these communities are completely out of the woods. But they’re looking wider downstream from Aniak than it did in those communities further upstream.
Casey Grove: I’ve heard of flooding in Glennallen. It’s more likely to be a result of a different cause and perhaps not as severe. What’s happening there?
Mike Ottenweller A lots of snow across the state. Overall, we were at or even above average for most places in regards to snowpack. Glennallen was not an exception. Glennallen’s Copper River basin was above the average. With the amount of water that was in the basin and the delayed melt of snow spring that we experienced this year due to cold temperatures in April, that was a huge factor in allowing the snow to stay in the place. We’re now beginning to see normal temperatures for the middle of May. The snow is quickly melting. The snow melted in Moose Creek over the weekend. The result was that Moose Creek kind of getting overflowing and pushing away from its banks. That’s why it’s moved into the Glennallen area and on top of Glenn Highway. Glenn Highway, of course.
Casey Grove: Mike I’d like to know whether you spoke of damages to structures in the past however, have you heard concerning, for instance death or injury from this flood?
Mike Ottenweller The truth is, no we’ve never. This is probably an aspect we’re extremely satisfied and proud to hear that the communities were well-prepared and were able to assist each other. There certainly were some heartbreaking moments and such And I’m sure that there will be more stories to come out however, it seems like the evacuations that occurred were purely, well at the local level, and were aimed at being safe within the short time frame. So, we’re thrilled to hear this and I hope that this will remain the case throughout the remainder of the spring breakup season.
