As lower Kuskokwim River breaks up, Bethel sees highest river gauge level in almost 20 years

Floodwaters emergence successful Bethel’s Alligator Acres vicinity connected May 9, 2024. (Photo by MaryCait Dolan/KYUK)

Amid nan highest h2o levels measured since 2005, nan City of Bethel urged residents connected Thursday nighttime to beryllium prepared for things to get worse.

The superior affected areas are nan Alligator Acres and Brown’s Slough neighborhoods. As of Thursday afternoon, nan Kuskokwim had spilled complete nan seawall and inundated further low-lying areas.

Two canoers paddle their measurement retired of nan floodwaters successful Bethel’s Alligator Acres neighborhood. May 9, 2024. (Photo by MaryCait Dolan/KYUK)

At 5 p.m. Thursday, nan Kuskokwim River gauge astatine Brown’s Slough recorded a h2o level of 11.27 feet, conscionable beneath nan 12-foot period for what is considered mean flooding, wherever removal of immoderate residents tin go necessary.

Also connected Thursday afternoon, National Weather Service hydrologist Johnse Ostman gave an update connected what to expect.

Flooding successful Napaskiak connected May 9, 2024. (Photo by Kristen Maxie)

“Residents successful nan Alligator Acres and Brown’s Slough area should astir apt expect h2o to rise, but astir apt emergence slow until nan jam beneath Napaskiak and Oscarville releases,” Ostman said. “If we guidelines immoderate of our estimates and what we deliberation mightiness hap connected nan Bethel gauge and we look astatine this inclination complete nan past 24 hours and we benignant of presume nan worst-case scenario, which is that we person nary alteration successful nan jam downriver, past it’s reasonable to presume that we would spot h2o levels emergence astatine slightest different ft complete nan adjacent 24 to 48 hours.”

In societal media posts, nan City of Bethel recommended that affected residents battalion valuables, get to higher crushed if necessary, and that vehicles wholly steer clear of nan seawall owed to soft and hazardous conditions.

A man wades down a flooded Sixth Avenue successful Bethel connected May 9, 2024. (Photo by MaryCait Dolan/KYUK)

Breakup and flood-related accusation tin alteration quickly, and this article whitethorn beryllium updated to bespeak much existent information.

Share photos aliases observations pinch KYUK astatine 907-543-0223 aliases by emailing news@kyuk.org.