The governor said on Twitter that no injuries have been reported. “We will continue to monitor the storm and update Alaska as much as possible,” he tweeted. In the town of Golovin, major flooding was reported early Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, and forecasters warned it would worsen. The city could see an additional 1 to 2 feet of water by the end of the day. “Water surrounds school, homes and structures flooded, at least two homes floating off foundations, some older fuel tanks tilted,” the weather service’s Fairbanks office said on Twitter. Photos from the weather service showed the high water level there. Heavy flooding in Golovin this morning. The water is still expected to rise 1-2 feet by this afternoon Our thoughts are with the community. (photos courtesy of C. Lewis) #akwx pic.twitter.com/BO63uN8dGL — NWS Fairbanks (@NWSFairbanks) September 17, 2022 Another town, Shaktoolik, reported coastal flooding, with water “entering the community and approaching some homes,” according to the weather service. Residents there were taken to a school and clinic. Shaktoolik was also expected to see the worst of the storm later in the day. Water levels in Nome rose more than 10 feet Saturday and are expected to continue rising, according to the NWS. A very angry sea in Nome this morning. Waves and storm surges push into the community, including Front Street. Water levels are expected to peak this afternoon. Here’s an image from Nome Harbor (courtesy of the Alaska Ocean Observing System). pic.twitter.com/oX5XZPHIti — NWS Fairbanks (@NWSFairbanks) September 17, 2022 The weather service also shared footage from a webcam in Unalakleet, comparing an average day in the town to the scene there Saturday morning. Images from the FAA airport camera at Unalakleet. One image shows a normal day, the other shows water flooding the area around the airport since 8am today. Water levels will continue to rise another foot into this afternoon. #akwx pic.twitter.com/0tVjXy3dLv — NWS Fairbanks (@NWSFairbanks) September 17, 2022 As of Saturday morning, large areas of the state’s west coast were under coastal flooding and high wind warnings. The weather service said flood warnings would remain in place until Sunday night, while wind warnings were expected to expire until Saturday night. Other areas of the state are under gale and thunderstorm warnings, according to the weather service. The weather service shared peak reported wind gusts from 8am. local time — the highest recorded was 91 mph at Cape Romanzof. Several other towns, including Golovin, saw winds in excess of 60 mph. The center of the storm was located just south of the Bering Strait on Saturday morning, the weather service said. Here’s a view of the stormy Bering Sea illuminated by moonlight just before sunrise (illuminates at right). It is currently centered just south of the Bering Strait. It was just over a half moon last night. Fortunately the tides were not as high as they could have been. pic.twitter.com/sKoVAWOaBc — NWS Alaska Region (@NWSAlaska) September 17, 2022 The storm is the remnants of Typhoon Merbok and forecasters this week predicted it could cause “potentially historic” flooding, with some coastal areas seeing water levels up to 11 feet above normal high tide.

Sophie Reardon

Sophie Reardon is a news editor at CBS News. Contact her at [email protected]