Flood in Taiya Inlet, Alaska

The Taiya River started a steep rise in the mid afternoon of September 6th and went above minor flood stage of 16.5 feet during the evening hours. There was about ankle deep water in the lower portions of the Chilkoot Trail within the Klondike Gold rush Historical Park near Skagway. There was a slight lull in the rain rates the water level remained above minor flood stage but leveled out in the evening hours. The rain increased in the headwaters of the basin overnight on September 6th and the Taiya River began another steep rise and went up above moderate flood stage of 17.0 feet just before midnight. The Taiya River crested at a stage of 17.78 feet around 0400AKDT and water levels started to fall as the rain rates tapered off. The river level went below minor flood stage by the mid afternoon on September 7th. There was flooding impacts along the Chilkoot Trail as the National Park Service closed the trail due to impacts associated with the high waters. The main reason for this is that trail orientation and navigation begins to become difficult and may hinder route-finding for several hundred meters. Water will be knee deep or higher in places along the lower portions of the trail. The NPS also advise against boating and other recreational water-based activities on the Taiya River.

A very strong and moist weather front moved over Southeast Alaska and produced 2 shots of moderate to heavy rainfall. Soils were already saturated from an event a day prior and the base flow of the Taiya River near Skagway remained at bankful stage. The river started to rise a few hours after the rain started in the afternoon hours of September 6th and went about moderate flood stage in the early morning hours of September 7th. The rain rates began to relax through September 7th and went back below minor flood stage in mid afternoon.

Rain amounts across the area of Skagway and in the headwaters of the Taiya River ranged from one and a half inch to two inches.