Third consecutive Bering Sea storm touches down on Alaska’s west coast

A outer image shows nan activity of a large wind successful nan Bering Sea toward Alaska’s westbound seashore connected nan evening of Aug. 20, 2024. (From NWS)

After a beardown large wind inundated communities crossed Western Alaska past weekend, residents are bracing for nan presence of nan remnants of Typhoon Ampil, nan 3rd large wind to deed nan region successful a week.

A precocious surf advisory is successful spot for nan Kuskokwim Delta seashore from Wednesday greeting done Thursday morning. According to Christian Landry, a meteorologist pinch nan National Weather Service successful Anchorage, nan large wind is group to mostly dodge nan Kuskokwim Delta, though coastal communities could erstwhile again spot h2o of arsenic overmuch arsenic 3 feet supra nan normal tideline.

“Primarily Kipnuk northbound to Newtok, we’re seeing conscionable 2 aliases 3 days of accordant onshore travel that could lead to immoderate increasing waves and perchance immoderate elevated h2o on nan coastline,” Landry said. “Wednesday afternoon, pinch that precocious tide coming in, we expect nan effect of nan elevated h2o to beryllium benignant of astatine its astir impactful.”

Further up nan coast, a abstracted coastal flood advisory for nan aforesaid large wind and aforesaid timeframe has been issued for nan area. This informing includes nan communities of Hooper Bay and Scammon Bay, pinch imaginable h2o levels arsenic precocious arsenic 5 feet supra nan normal precocious tideline.

Andrew Stokes, a Fairbanks-based NWS meteorologist, said that nan imaginable impacts for nan communities will apt not beryllium among nan astir terrible for nan Yukon Delta coast.

“That’s conscionable going to beryllium from beardown southwesterly winds, which could beryllium pushing immoderate h2o up nether nan coast. We’re not expecting nan highest impacts complete there,” Stokes said.

According to Stokes, nan existent brunt of nan large wind is headed for nan confederate separator of nan Seward Peninsula.

“Along nan eastbound Norton Sound, we’re looking astatine our highest impact, pinch nan highest spot being Koyuk astatine astir around, like, 7 to 9 feet,” Stokes said.

Stokes said that nan 3rd large wind headed for Alaska’s westbound seashore whitethorn not beryllium nan past connection from nan Bering Sea this clip around.

“We are expecting different low-pressure strategy to benignant of slingshot disconnected nan backmost extremity of (Typhoon) Ampil arsenic it passes by. But there’s a batch of disagreement correct now, and a batch of uncertainty regarding its existent timing and imaginable impacts,” Stokes said. “Most apt it’ll support h2o levels a spot much elevated, supply different short information of rainfall and immoderate higher winds, but not rather arsenic beardown arsenic what we’re getting pinch nan remnants of (Typhoon) Ampil.”

The National Weather Service advises each residents successful areas nether nan advisories to unafraid belongings, move items inland erstwhile possible, and to beryllium alert and prepared to return action.

Visit nan Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center website for nan latest flood advisory updates, aliases telephone nan 24-hour toll-free Alaska Weather Information Line astatine 855-937-4977.