Flood — Kuskokwim Valley West, Alaska

2025-05-05 to 2025-05-07 · near Kaltag, Kuskokwim Valley West, Alaska

Event narrative

Staff from the Anchorage River Forecast Center spotted an ice jam downstream from Kalskag during their aerial river watch survey on the afternoon of May 5th. The ice jam caused water to rapidly rise and flood the road connecting the Upper Kalskag and Lower Kalskag communities. School children were taken back and forth by boat to travel between the two villages while flood waters were at their highest. By May 7th, the downstream ice jam broke up and allowed water levels to recede to normal levels.

Wider weather episode

The ice breakup along the Kuskokwim River during the spring of 2025 produced less ice jam flooding compared to an average spring season. Still, areas of mostly minor flooding did occur with occasional ice jams along parts of the river channel as the breakup front moved towards the Kuskokwim Delta from late April into early May. One of the more notable ice jams formed on May 5th just downstream from Upper Kalskag and Lower Kalskag, resulting in a brief spike in water levels and flooding of local roadways near both communities before the downstream ice jam broke on May 7th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (61.5415, -160.3211)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1261642. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.