Typhoon Merbok (2022)

Basin

Western Pacific

Dates

September 10, 2022 to September 19, 2022

Peak strength

Category 1, 70 kt (81 mph)

Lowest pressure

940 mb (27.76 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

4.8

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

275 nmi (509 km, 316 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

55 nmi (102 km, 63 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

30 nmi (56 km, 35 mi)

Overall size

275 nmi (509 km, 316 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Fastest the center moved

51 kt (59 mph)

Identifier

WP152022

Radar at PAEC as it neared land, Sep 17, 12:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled June 2026.

Deaths

0 (0 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

0

Property damage

none recorded

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

17 in 2 reports from 1 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

9 high wind, 7 coastal flood, 1 flood.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

The extratropical remnants of Typhoon Merbok moved north through the Chukchi Sea from Saturday September 17th to Sunday September 18th. Strong south to southwest winds resulted in a storm surge that caused water levels to rise from 4 to 6 feet above the normal high tide line. This resulted in coastal erosion and minor flooding of low lying areas. At Shishmaref, it is estimated that water levels peaked at 6 feet above Mean Higher High Water Saturday evening but remained elevated into Sunday evening. Minor flooding occurred in low lying areas along the lagoon side of the village. Wave runup caused significant erosion along the road to the landfill south of of the runway. At Kivalina, water levels peaked at 3.95 feet above Mean Higher High Water at 9AM AKDT on Sunday. Minor flooding of low lying areas and erosion from wave runup was observed.

Chukchi Sea Coast, Alaska · Coastal Flood · Sep 17, 13:00 UTC

The extratropical remnants of Typhoon Merbok moved north through the Chukchi Sea from Saturday September 17th to Sunday September 18th. Strong south to southwest winds resulted in a storm surge that caused water levels to rise from 4 to 6 feet above the normal high tide line. This resulted in coastal erosion and minor flooding of low lying areas. IN Kotzebue, water levels peaked at 4.35 feet above Mean Higher High Water at 3AM AKDT on Sunday September 18th. Kotzebue reported minor impacts from flooding including structures (unknown number) on the west side of the lagoon with water underneath them, high water impacting areas around the Lagoon Street boat ramp, and water up to the edge of the runway.

Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley, Alaska · Coastal Flood · Sep 18, 05:00 UTC

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A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.