A severe storm in Alaska demolished houses from their foundations, damaged roads, flooded entire areas
The remnant force of Typhoon Merbock has been hitting the west coast of Alaska since the evening of Sept. 16, causing floods strong enough to demolish homes and forcing residents to evacuate and seek shelter, reports CNN.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy declared a natural disaster for affected communities on September 17 as heavy rains hit the coast, filling roads with water and debris.
As of September 18, at least five communities were affected by high water levels - Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Golovin, Newtok and Nome. Initial damage reports indicated erosion, electrical problems and power outages, Dunleavy said. USAToday.
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By the evening of September 17, the governor had reported devastating impacts on roads, oil storage facilities, and possibly breakwaters. Authorities are still evaluating whether the hurricane has impacted water and sewer systems in the state's western cities.
According to Bryan Fisher, director of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, about 450 coastal communities have taken refuge in schools.
As of the evening of September 17, there were no reports of injuries or deaths from the storm, Major General Torrens Sacks of the Alaska National Guard said, adding that aircraft would be on display to help with evacuations if needed.
Dunleavy tweeted on September 18 afternoon that a missing child in Hooper's Bay had been found unharmed.
The waters continued to rise on September 18, according to the National Meteorological Service, and are expected to rise 100-150 cm above the high tide at Deering, 120-180 cm at Kotzebue and 150-213 cm at Shishmaref and Kivalina.
"It's all about the numbers," the NWS tweeted.
Demolishes houses from the foundation
According to forecasters, the storm will be the strongest in the state in the last ten years.
In the city of Nome, the storm brought "swells and storm surges bearing down on the community," according to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks. The population of the city is more than 9800 people.
The water level in Nome on September 17 in the evening was 2,5 meters compared to 3,5 meters earlier in the day. These levels exceeded the highs seen during severe storms in 2011 and 2004, according to the National Weather Service.
A floating building crashed into a 300-gallon oil tank in Nome around 18 p.m. local time, resulting in a spill, according to Jason Bruhn, commissioner for the Alaska Department of Environmental Protection.
Nome resident Simon Kinnin said he was driving past the Snake River at Belmont Point when he saw the floating house.
“The wind was strong enough to blow the house off its foundation, and the waves carried the house to the northwest,” he said.
He saw the whole house float down the river before it got stuck between the river and a nearby bridge.
Authorities said that in Golovin, where several houses were torn off their foundations, residents were evacuated on September 17 to a local high ground school.
"Water surrounds the school, houses and buildings are flooded, at least a couple of houses have come off their foundations, some old fuel tanks have been knocked over," representatives of the Fairbanks National Weather Service tweeted.
According to the US Census Bureau, Golovin has a population of about 175 and is located south of the Bering Land Bridge National Wildlife Refuge.
The state expects a freeze in about three weeks, and state officials and federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency are working to expedite recovery efforts for communities, Dunleavy said at a Sept. 18 afternoon news conference.
“We are going to move as quickly as possible and focus on the communities that are really affected and need help the most,” Dunleavy said.
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Officials said they would monitor and assess damage to dams, water and sewer systems, airports and ports. Dunleavy reported that there was a power outage at Golovin Airport, and it was recommended that water be boiled in at least three communities.
Beginning September 19, teams made up of state emergency specialists and the American Red Cross will visit communities to assess repairs and needs for food, water and shelter, Brian Fisher said.
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