Stprm begins to whip Western Alaska coast

[Blue_In_AK]

Source: Anchorage Daily News

Villages and towns across Alaska's western and northwest coasts braced Tuesday for a winter megastorm that the National Weather Service says could be among the worst on record.

Forecasters warned of life-threatening surf, wind and snow clobbering villages along the Bering and Chukchi sea coasts Tuesday night and today. Some villagers moved to higher ground. Officials in Nome evacuated half of the city's Front Street, the famous finish line of the Iditarod Trail.

"These things get named hurricanes down south and get a category. It's that magnitude," said Jeff Osiensky, regional warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The storm was expected to hit across hundreds of miles of coastline, with the worst expected from the Yukon River Delta all the way north to the Arctic Coast.

<snip>

"There was a big rush at the store today to get water," said Elmer Davis, a former police officer who lives in the village of Shishmaref, which has seen extensive coastal erosion.

"I don't get scared too easy," he said, "and this sounds like Armageddon."





Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/11/08/2161340/western-alaska-coast-residents.html

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The administration just approved offshore drilling in this area. I wonder if this will wake them up to the dangers. Nearest Coast Guard station is over 1,000 miles away.

[Suich]

1. I watch a show called "Flying Wild Alaska."

The villages they fly to have less than 500 people and there are hundreds of them. I'm afraid for these people because there is no place for them to get shelter.

This is just awful.

:scared:

[Blue_In_AK]

2. That's a great show,

probably the most realistic of the Alaskan reality series. You're right, there's no place to go, no roads, and even if you had a plane, you wouldn't want to fly in this kind of weather. I'm just hoping it won't be as bad as they're predicting.

[Skittles]

3. could you keep us posted on what you know, Blue_In_AK

we are wishing the best for Alaskans

[midnight]

4. K&R

[Vinca]

5. Stay safe.

[mopinko]

6. not sure how many people realize how much of populated alaska

is little towns on the small flat spots on the coast. i was surprised to learn that myself.
so many people literally between the water and the mountains, with nowhere to go.

stay safe up there. fingers crossed.