Westfall thanked his training with the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association to help him maximize his odds for survival.
With Anchorage schools remote again due to a 17-inch snowfall and strong winds, another storm is hitting Southcentral Alaska, potentially causing power outages as trees fall on electric lines.
Twenty-three of the 25 fires so far this year were ignited by human activity. While this year’s heavy snowpack and cold spring pushed back the start to fire season in many parts of the state, climate change is generally causing an earlier snowmelt, said climatologist Rick Thoman.
A drainage culvert beneath the street failed, causing the sinkhole.
Denali National Park has closed to visitors due to the rapidly spreading Riley Fire near its entrance, prompting evacuations and a significant firefighting response.
Two individuals died in separate fires in Mat-Su, with one victim found outside his home after escaping the blaze, potentially succumbing to extreme cold.
High winds, flooding and landslides caused moderate to severe damage in communities across Southeast Alaska Wednesday, as an atmospheric river stalled over the region and brought record-breaking rain.
Breakup of the Yukon River over the weekend has led to serious flooding in Eagle, Circle and Fort Yukon.
All schools in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough are closed Wednesday due to slick roads across the region, as snowfall continues. “This is the heaviest snowfall the Anchorage area has seen in over 20 years,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Justin Shelby. “Our crews are keeping up as best they can.”
Entomologists confirm the report of the world's largest hornet — a worrisome invasive species that originates from East Asia and Japan — by a person in a rural area near the Canadian border.
The man was buried between 5-8 minutes before two other skiers in his group located him with avalanche transceivers.
The fire also comes as the state of Alaska enters its second highest level of fire preparedness, based on the high number of wildfires burning statewide and the possibility for more.
A fire destroyed a Peter Pan Seafoods facility in Sand Point, Alaska, causing a pervasive smell of burning plastic from fishing gear stored on-site.
A cold snap in Southcentral Alaska has led to increased natural gas demand, causing Enstar to struggle with supply due to equipment failure and technical issues.
Before she knew what was happening, a large female killer whale lifted Bloom’s paddleboard up out of the water. “And at that moment it was like terror,” Bloom said.
Bethel Search and Rescue advises against travel on the Kuskokwim River due to dangerous conditions of open water and thin ice identified in their annual aerial survey.
A landslide in Juneau, Alaska, prompted the evacuation of an apartment building, with no injuries reported but further slides expected due to heavy rain.
The van was stopped outside a convenience store on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson when the bears helped themselves to doughnut holes and other pastries.
Locals in Kotzebue showed a mix of excitement and concern over the weekend in response to reports that a rare polar bear was spotted in the area.
A fast-moving wildfire near Elliot Highway in Fairbanks, Alaska, has led to a Level 3 evacuation order for residents, with the fire rapidly growing to over a thousand acres.
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