High Wind — Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

2025-09-26 · Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Event narrative

A social media report estimated wind gusts to 65mph at Coffman Cove all day on the 26th. Another social media comment estimated 70mph gusts in Port Protection at the northern end of Prince of Wales Island shortly after 3pm AKDT. Peak wind measured at the Hydaburg AWOS was 51kt (59mph) at 852am AKDT. A lightning strike that morning disabled the automated system at the City of Klawock's water treatment plant. The Craig COOP observer estimated wind gusts of 60mph at their morning report and checked the damaging wind box. The Klawock COOP also checked the damaging wind box on the 26th.

Wider weather episode

An unusually strong fall storm developed and moved northeast into the Gulf of Alaska during the early morning hours of Friday 9/26, with pressure falling to 962mph and with hurricane force winds observed on the south side of the low center. As the system progressed northeastward, winds along the coast from Prince of Wales northward towards Baranof Island increased with damaging winds reported. The system made landfall over the central panhandle Friday afternoon around 4pm, just north of Sitka, near Kruzof Island. Tree fall and damaging winds were also reported in the Petersburg Borough and on Admiralty Island that afternoon.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1295971. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.