Alaskan Storm With 90-mph Winds Causes Record Flooding
The third massive storm in the path month slammed Alaska with extreme wind and flooding rainfall during midweek.
Seward, Alaska, has received 8.17 inches of rain, resulting in record flooding.
Resurrection River at Glacier Bridge rose to a record level of 19.97 feet, above the previous record of 19.85 feet set in October 2006. Grouse Lake at Grouse Creek rose to 9.71 feet, above the old record of 9.29 feet also set in October 2006.
The southern shore of Alaska is very wet, but Seward is not normally a very wet spot. Winds typically come from the east and northeast during Gulf of Alaska storms, which is a dry flow for the town.
"During this [midweek] storm, the winds were from the south-southwest, jamming right up the bay and into town. The flow was overriding the Kenai Mountains, which rise to above 5,000 feet," AccuWeather Expert Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews said.
The combination of onshore and upslope flow allowed for the excessive rainfall. In addition, the source of the moisture for the storm was subtropical.
Meanwhile, very high winds resulted in damage such as overturning semi trucks. The strongest winds slammed the Kenai Peninsula and the greater Anchorage area, including gusts to 91 mph at Harding Icefield and a gust to 86 mph in North Potter Heights.
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