GOLOVIN, Alaska – A historic storm lashed western Alaska Friday and Saturday with hurricane-force winds, seas over 50 feet and coastal flooding not seen in decades. What had been Hurricane Merbok became a powerful North Pacific storm as it ran nearly north and passed the Aleutian Islands on Friday and into the Bering Sea on Saturday, bringing a dangerous storm surge that left coastal villages and towns under several feet of water for hours . Water levels in Unalakleet were over 11 feet Saturday morning and are expected to peak at 15 feet later Saturday afternoon, reaching one of the highest crests on record, according to the National Weather Service. Significant flooding was reported in Golovin, where a punch or two of rain and wind lashed the coastal town.

Next Stormwater flooding hits the town of Golovin, Alaska as a massive storm moves through on September 17, 2022. (C. Lewis via National Weather Service, Fairbanks) prevnext Stormwater flooding hits the town of Golovin, Alaska as a massive storm moves through on September 17, 2022. (C. Lewis via National Weather Service, Fairbanks) prevnext Stormwater flooding hits the town of Golovin, Alaska as a massive storm moves through on September 17, 2022. (C. Lewis via National Weather Service, Fairbanks) previous Stormwater flooding hits the town of Golovin, Alaska as a massive storm moves through on September 17, 2022. (C. Lewis via National Weather Service, Fairbanks)

Water surrounded the school while houses and other structures were flooded. “Some homes were floating off their foundations,” the National Weather Service in Fairbanks wrote, “and some fuel tanks are tilted.”
Stormwater flooding hits the town of Golovin, Alaska as a massive storm moves through on September 17, 2022. (C. Lewis via National Weather Service, Fairbanks) Stormwater flooding hits the town of Golovin, Alaska as a massive storm moves through on September 17, 2022. (C. Lewis via National Weather Service, Fairbanks) Stormwater flooding hits the town of Golovin, Alaska as a massive storm moves through on September 17, 2022. (C. Lewis via National Weather Service, Fairbanks) Stormwater flooding hits the town of Golovin, Alaska as a massive storm moves through on September 17, 2022. (C. Lewis via National Weather Service, Fairbanks) The highest water levels were not expected until Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, winds there are gusting up to 62 mph. Alaska Storm Forecast (FOX Weather) The Bering Sea was pushing over levees along the Shaktoolik and water was entering the coastal community, nearing flooded homes. Residents have been taken to the city’s school and clinic. In Nome, the predicted peak tide is 12.45 feet — 9 feet above the high tide mark — for later Saturday with waters reaching 5 feet above the high tide mark at Red Dog.

Winds exceed 90 mph in places

The storm surge was propelled by strong winds circulating the center of the deep storm, which had reached up to 937 millibars on its approach to the Aleutian Islands. Cape Romanzof measured a gust of 91 mph while gusts reached 74 mph on the island of St. Paul and 62 mph in Adak and Golovin. Offshore, the storm kicked up monster seas more than 50 feet high. A buoy 310 miles north of Adak reported wave heights of nearly 52 feet late Friday morning amid 74 mph wind gusts. “Even though it’s not officially a hurricane — what we could call a hurricane in the (U.S.) — it still has all this powerful energy,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “With strong winds, you’re pushing a lot of water and that means sea levels (will) rise and coastal flooding is a concern as well as storm surge.” ALASKA EXPERIENCES AN EARTHQUAKE EVERY 10 MINUTES, SCIENTISTS SAY Worse, as the storm slows on its way out toward the Arctic, high water levels will continue for 10 to 14 hours, allowing wind-driven waves over the surge to push far inland and cause additional damage . “Impacts may exceed the 2011 Bering Sea superstorm, and some locations may experience the worst coastal flooding in nearly 50 years,” National Weather Service forecasters in Fairbanks wrote early Friday morning. “The storm is huge,” Merwin said. “It still has all those characteristics from when it was a hurricane, but now it’s a cold-core system – a non-tropical storm – that’s going to blast Alaska with some very strong winds.” Strong storm systems are common over Alaska, but seeing an extratropical cyclone with pressure less than 940 millibars is not common. The last surface analysis at 8 am. ET estimated the storm’s central pressure at 937 mb, which is the deepest September low in at least 17 years recorded in the region. “It’s definitely going to be a major event. It’s shaping up to be one of the worst events we’ve seen in years,” the National Weather Service office in Fairbanks, Alaska, said.

The threatened area contributes $5 billion to Alaska’s economy

Communities such as Adak, Unalaska, St. Paul, St. Johns and Bethel will all be near the center of the storm, where winds and rain will be the most intense. “For most of these communities in Alaska, when a storm is coming, they don’t have the ability to evacuate. So what they usually do is go to a community shelter, which is the safe option,” Jeremy said. Zidek, public information officer for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Supply chain issues, transportation issues and weather issues are a common occurrence, so people have to be resilient enough to live even in these areas.” Several notices including a Coastal Flood Watch, Storm Warning and Storm Warning have been issued by the NWS in anticipation of the arrival of the worst weather. Alaska Wind Alerts (FOX Weather) FAA ADDS TROPICAL STATIONS IN ALASKA TO ENHANCE AVIATION SAFETY Forecasters and first responders are most concerned about the shipping community, which produces most of the nation’s seafood. Pacific salmon, crab, Pacific cod, shrimp, herring, pollock and halibut are harvested from Alaska and lead to more than $5 billion in economic activity in Alaska each year.

Former Typhoon Merbok to impact US weather

Hurricane Merbok is one of several major storm systems from the Western Pacific expected to get caught up in the jet stream and affect US weather. Abnormally warm water in the North Pacific is one of the ingredients that help enhance the life cycle and strength of northern cyclones, but it is not enough to help them maintain their tropical cyclone identity in northern latitudes. Similar to the Atlantic basin, the Pacific Northwest’s hurricane season is running behind normal, seeing only half the number of storms it’s used to seeing by mid-September. In recent weeks, the Western Pacific has seen an uptick in activity with typhoons Muifa, Hinnamnor and Merbok. Most, if not all, will lead to impacts in Alaska with rain, wind and high seas, meaning the 49th state could be on the lookout for a rainy spell. NWS Climate Prediction Center experts are expecting several weeks of above-average rainfall in the state. Forecasters believe there will be an increased chance of precipitation in Alaska over the next few days.