Heavy Rain in Alaska, November 12 to 14, 2003

Name: Heavy Rain in Alaska, November 12 to 14, 2003
Start: 2003-11-12T16:00
End: 2003-11-14T12:00
Location: Alaska

November 12 to 14, 2003 · NWS AJK · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A low pressure system over the Eastern Gulf spread heavy rains into Southern Panhandle. 25 inches of rain was measured at the Sitka airport in the 18 hours up to Thursday morning November 13.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS AJK wrote it up.

A low pressure system over the Eastern Gulf spread heavy rains into Southern Panhandle. 4.25 inches of rain was measured at the Sitka airport in the 18 hours up to Thursday morning November 13. In Sitka, the Indian River footbridge on the Sawmill Creek Road was damaged by high water and debris. A large tree stump apparently damaged the center piling. The road itself was not damaged. Ponding of water due to sewer drains clogged by leaves occurred in many other locations throughout Sitka. Small mudslides also occurred along the steep slopes of the foothills of eastern Sitka. These heavy rains spread into the Ketchikan region as well. The airport measured 10.2 inches of rain in 48 hours ending Friday night. Though no major flooding occurred in Ketchikan, Ward Lake did rise 8 feet and flood a newly constructed park shelter on its banks.

Event by event

2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Cp Decision to Cp Fairweather

When: November 12, 4:00 PM AST to November 13, 12:00 PM AST
Where: Cp Decision to Cp Fairweather County, Sitka
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Rain, S. Se. Ak Ernest Snd to Dixon

When: November 13, 6:00 AM AST to November 14, 12:00 PM AST
Where: S. Se. Ak Ernest Snd to Dixon County, Ketchikan
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, November 2003

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5336292, 5336293.