Gov. Mike Dunleavy declared on social media a disaster for communities impacted by the huge storm that has hit Western Alaska’s coastal areas.
Dunleavy said the State Emergency Operations Center has received no reports of injuries and will continue to monitor the storm and update Alaskans as much as possible.
Nome webcam images show water pouring out of the foundation of the Nome Visitor Center, as shown above. Homes in Hooper Bay have been knocked off their footings and homes along the waterfront in Nome are now having ocean water running in their crawl spaces.
Water levels in Nome are expected to peak in the afternoon, the National Weather Service said. Ocean levels are at 10.32 feet, which is the highest since the November 1974 flood, according to a Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.
In Golovin, the water has gone over the berm and major flooding is ongoing in the community, the Weather Service said. Water levels are expected to rise another 1-2 feet Saturday.
In Hooper Bay, massive fuels tanks were floated and left on their sides and some homes are floating away.
