Flood in Lower Yukon River, Alaska

Flood May 18, 2026 – May 25, 2026 · Lower Yukon River, Alaska

Where the report was made, with tornadoes recorded within 15 miles over the years.

What the National Weather Service wrote

The NWS River Watch team reported a 3 mile-long ice jam composed of large, intact ice sheets blocked the channel downriver from the town of Russian Mission, backing up roughly 60 miles of chunk and pan ice upstream. The jam released on Wednesday evening (May 20), allowing water levels to drop by about a foot by Saturday, though low-lying areas remained impacted with flood waters.

The wider storm

As the third week of May 2026 unfolded, the dynamic breakup front stalled repeatedly along the Lower Yukon, creating a cascading sequence of severe jams and flooding. This period involved massive downstream surges as well as backwater effects in tributaries like the Andreafsky and Chuilnuk.

Began near Russian Mission (61.8196, -161.4730).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1340696. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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