With spring breakup underway, flood watches are in effect for several riverside communities in Interior Alaska.
Healy and Anderson have seen some of the worst impacts so far, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Jason Laney said waters rose earlier in the week and threatened several homes, damaging a few.
“There was an extensive amount of water damage,” he said. “It's still being looked into now that the water has receded, but our suspicions are that that's going to be a major cleanup.”
A few cabins were also damaged in Chatanika, north of Fairbanks. Near the Canadian border, Eagle, Circle and Chalkyitsik saw minor flooding over the last few days.
The Interior experienced record cold temperatures this winter. Laney said that likely thickened the river ice, which could cause more severe ice jams. But he said the window of danger should pass in about two weeks. Until then, Laney encourages people to remain vigilant.
“Keep an eye on the waters,” he said. “Watch the advisories. And most importantly, if you see something happening in your community, reporting that information is great. Because what we learn from a community upstream will benefit communities downstream greatly.”
Signs of flooding can be submitted online to Fresh Eyes on Ice, a freshwater ice observation program operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.