Residents in western Alaska are on high alert as the leftovers of Typhoon Merbok are predicted to deliver floods and heavy winds this weekend.
According to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, wind gusts of up to 65 mph are forecast for Kotzebue Sound and the Chukchi Coast. Winds are expected to reach their height early Saturday morning.
Alaska's western coast is expecting high winds and flooding in a powerful storm
NOAA/Unsplash
Officials in the Nome area, which has a population of roughly 10,000 people, have encouraged locals to prepare, as per CNN.
The town's leisure facility will function as an emergency shelter, according to the town.
The Alaska Division of Homeland Security stated that numerous local, state, federal, tribal, and non-government agencies and emergency response groups are aware of the storm's potential and are planning their response capabilities.
Staff at the State Emergency Operation Center will continue to monitor the situation and communicate with areas in the storm's path.
People were requested to report road issues to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' Nome maintenance station.
The system was passing across the Bering Sea, which connects Alaska and Russia in the northern Pacific Ocean.
"This is a hazardous storm that is predicted to cause significant coastal flooding south of the Bering Strait, with water levels nearing levels not seen in almost 50 years," the National Weather Service said on Thursday.
The primary hazards along Alaska's coast include coastal flooding and winds up to 60 mph with greater gusts, which might shift loose objects, damage structures, and knock down powerlines.
Alaskan weather experts have also encouraged communities to prepare for the storm, which has the potential to overwhelm essential infrastructure and wash away roadways.
The storm's effects are likely to be felt Friday through Sunday morning, with water levels peaking on Saturday.
Coastal flood warnings have also been issued for all coasts along Alaska's west coast, from just north of the Arctic Circle to the Kuskokwim Delta.
The last time a storm of this magnitude hit Alaska was in 2011 when it wreaked havoc. The 2011 system, like Merbok, was an extratropical storm.
In contrast to a tropical storm or cyclone, an extratropical storm or cyclone has cold air at its center. Strong winds, heavy rain, and storm surges may all cause major damage.
When a major storm approaches, we usually ask, "Does it compare to the 2011 storm?" According to CNN, Jonathan Chriest, a meteorologist with the Fairbanks weather service.
Brace yourselves for the most powerful storm in years
Meteorologists predicted that one of the strongest storms to hit Alaska in half a century will smash western sections of the state through the weekend, bringing powerful gusts reaching 90 miles per hour, torrential rain, and substantial coastal flooding, as per The New York Times.
Typhoon Merbok's remnants were expected to continue north over the Bering Sea region from Friday through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
By Friday nighttime, conditions were forecast to worsen around the Bering Strait's south shore and points north.
Forecasters said waves north of the Aleutian Islands were at or above 35 feet for 12 hours straight Friday, culminating at more than 50 feet.
Officials in Nome, Alaska, where the population is less than 10,000 and coastal flooding this weekend might exceed 11 feet over average high tide, were preparing.
The mayor of the city, John Handeland, informed The Associated Press that an emergency shelter had been established.
