The community of Aklavik, N.W.T., persevered when devastating floods led the government to attempt to relocate it. Now it faces another existential crisis as climate change thaws the permafrost, forever changing the community’s landscape and wildlife.
The issue of moving the public bath to a new place is decided in the village of Nutepelmen of the Egvekinot urban district. Part of the shore, on which the modular structure now stands, was washed away by waves. The social institution was closed for an indefinite period, reports IA "Chukotka".
Part of the village of Rytkuchi remained without electricity for several hours. And in the northernmost city of Russia, strong waves destroyed part of the embankment. The cause was a storm operating on the territory of the city district of Pevek, reports IA "Chukotka".
Melting permafrost and severe erosion have plagued the community for decades. The most recent storm brought waves so fierce, the water claimed roughly half of the 80 or so remaining feet of land that stands between the back end of the school and the edge of the Ningliq river.
Forecasters say they are expecting significant coastal erosion from Utqiagvik to Unalakleet from the second severe-weather event to hit the region in three weeks.
A site visit to Newtok on September 30, shows severe erosion from impacts of storm (typhoon Merbok). The images show both severe permafrost melt and river erosion.
Kivalina has long dealt with climate change-driven erosion. While the village didn’t feel the effects of heavy flooding, residents are wary of a future with heavy autumn storms.
The heavy rains and high water from storm Murdok today and Monday are contributing to the erosion of the old landfill and river bank.
The aftermath of Typhoon Merbok left fuel tanks floating and home flooded, but locals also saw an opportunity.
A historically powerful storm slammed into Western Alaska Friday night and into Saturday, bringing major flooding and high winds to a huge swath of coastal communities. By Saturday evening, the state said it had received no reports of injuries or deaths related to the storm. But damage had torn across hundreds of miles of Alaska’s coastline impacting communities all along the way. Alaskans described water flooding homes and roads. Wind tore off roofs. Houses floated off their foundations. Boats sank.
Over the past 24 hours, nearly 0.95 million houses and 0.72 million livestock were flooded while 0.27 million houses were destroyed and 3,116 kilometres of highways and 149 bridges were washed away.
A extremely wet month, extreme rain, and heavy visitor traffic have resulted in washout on some areas of the Reed Lakes Trail.
There were alternatives for Trans Mountain Corporation to digging a trench in the river to lay pipe during the time the salmon were running.
Drained lake basins make up more than half of the Arctic coastal plain, but the complete drainage of a lake is rarely witnessed by people.
"The event occurred on June 29th, on our native allotment near Kotzebue (Illivak). We left home in the morning and when we came back around 8:00 PM in the evening the whole lake had drained! It looked like it was blown up with dynamite."
Community gravel source and old dump site threated by erosion.
The collapse was documented with drone imagery as was a permafrost rebound signature in the river water.
As the spring snow melt the flooding cuts away the bank more every day. This observation includes photos showing the location of the community water source, transmission line.
Noatak has lost 19' of river bank since May 19th. Now the road to the community gravel source is failing.
A fisherman was coming home from fishing last night and noticed (what he thought was) a coffin sticking out of the old gravesite above one of the markers I used to measure erosion with last summer. It turned out to not be a coffin, but rather an old air duct or metal meat trailer.
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