Coastal Flood — Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley, Alaska

2019-08-03 to 2019-08-04 · Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley, Alaska

Event narrative

Storm surge ranged from 3 to 5 feet above the normal high tide line in Kotzebue Sound. The high surge combined with west winds 30 to 45 mph resulted in high surf and significant wave runup. Minor flooding was reported in low lying areas in Kotzebue and around the lagoon. Water was up to the teacher housing.

Wider weather episode

A strong low pressure center tracked north through the Bering Sea across St. Lawrence Island, the Bering Strait, and into the Chukchi Sea between Aug 2-4th, 2019. This was the strongest in a series of weather systems associated with an atmospheric river which developed over the Bering Sea from late July and into August. This early fall storm resulted in coastal flooding, high surf, erosion, and riverine flooding due to heavy rainfall. Impacts included minor flooding of homes, seasonal subsistence camps damaged, road washouts, and coastal lagoons flooded.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 854513. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.