Flood in Alaska, May 8 to 12, 2004

Name: Flood in Alaska, May 8 to 12, 2004
Start: 2004-05-08T01:00
End: 2004-05-12T08:00
Location: Alaska

May 8 to 12, 2004 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

00) inch on May 6th and 7th across the area covered with a remnant snowpack resulted in a significant flood event. Remnant overflow ice on Jarvis creek (approximately 10 miles south of Delta Junction) forced this surge of water to flow overbank and into an old slough which flows through residential areas in Delta Junction, Inadequate culverts and raised roadbeds backed up water into residences…

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $104,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 AFG wrote it up.

Delta Junction: Warm temperatures, high freezing levels in the Alaska Range and heavy rainfall of over one (1.00) inch on May 6th and 7th across the area covered with a remnant snowpack resulted in a significant flood event. Remnant overflow ice on Jarvis creek (approximately 10 miles south of Delta Junction) forced this surge of water to flow overbank and into an old slough which flows through residential areas in Delta Junction, Inadequate culverts and raised roadbeds backed up water into residences and over road. This was the worst flooding in over 40 years, as noted by many long-time residents. Eight to ten miles of road was damaged, though the Alaska Highway was intact. At least fourteen homes impacted; 50 were threatened. The State of Alaska Department of Transportation cut one of the main roads in three places to allow drainage of the flood waters. The State Division of Forestry and then the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management oversaw the disaster, and the Red Cross was mobilized to provide assistance.Damage amounts includes claims by/for State Department of Transportation (road repair) $56K, individual residences $30K; Delta School $3K, City of Delta $4K, State of Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management $11K.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 7, 1:30 PM AST, 11 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 1:30 PM AST, 11 hours 30 minutes before

NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
230 PM ADT FRI MAY 7 2004

.DISCUSSION...
SURFACE...A 1042 MB HIGH IS OVER THE NORTHERN ARCTIC OCEAN WITH A
RIDGE EXTENDING SE OVER THE NRN YUKON. THE HIGH WILL SLOWLY LIFT
NORTH AND STRENGTHEN TO 1046 MB THROUGH SUNDAY WITH THE RIDGE
LIFTING A BIT TO THE NE. A SURFACE RIDGE IS OVER THE WRN INTERIOR.
A STATIONARY FRONT IS POSITIONED BETWEEN THE HIGH AND RIDGE ON A
LINE FROM JUST SOUTH OF POINT LAY TO JUST SOUTH OF BETTLES TO
SOUTH OF EAGLE INTO THE SRN YUKON. A 1007 MB LOW PRESSURE AREA WAS
ALONG THE FRONT OVER THE YUKON. THE FRONT WILL DROP A BIT SOUTH
INTO THE CENTRAL INTERIOR THROUGH SUNDAY, MAKING IT JUST SOUTH OF
FAIRBANKS OVERNIGHT. A 990 MB LOW IS OVER THE CENT BERING WITH A
WEATHER FRONT EAST TO ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND AND NUNIVAK ISLAND THEN
SOUTH TO BRISTOL BAY. THE LOW WILL WEAKEN TO 995 MB AS IT MOVES
NORTH TO THE GULF OF ANADYR SUNDAY NIGHT WITH THE WEATHER FRONT
MOVING EAST INTO THE INTERIOR.

ALOFT...AN UPR LOW IS OVER THE WRN BERING AND WILL MOVE NORTH TO
THE GULF OF ANADYR ON SATURDAY. A STRONG UPR TROF IS OVER THE NE
YUKON AND WILL LIFT OUT TO THE NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT, AS A SECOND
TROUGH DROPS SOUTH TO MACKENZIE BAY LATE SATURDAY. AN UPR RIDGE
EXTENDS NORTH FROM THE WRN GULF TO NOATAK. THE RIDGE WILL SHIFT
EAST OVER THE INTERIOR SATURDAY AND BECOME ERODED AWAY BY SUNDAY,
AS THE UPR LOW AND TROF COMPLETELY PINCH IT OFF. THIS WILL ALLOW A
SOUTHWESTERLY FEED OF MOISTURE TO RETURN TO THE INTERIOR SATURDAY
NIGHT AND SUNDAY.  STRONG NW FLOW OVER NE ALASKA WILL RELAX AND
BECOME LIGHT BY SUNDAY WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW CONTINUING
OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE.

MODELS...MODELS REMAIN IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH CONTINUING THE
UNSEASONABLY WET PATTERN OVER THE INTERIOR INTO THE EARLY NEXT
WEEK. NEXT SHOT OF MOISTURE WILL MOVE INTO THE INTERIOR SATURDAY
NIGHT AND DIMINISH TO SHOWERS ON SUNDAY. MOIST FLOW CONTINUES AT
LEAST THROUGH TUESDAY, ALTHOUGH MAY GO A BIT MORE SW, DOWNSLOPING
SOME AREAS OUT. TEMPS WILL BE ON THE COOL SIDE, GENERALLY BELOW 60
FOR HIGHS WITH 850 TEMPS REMAINING AT ZERO OR BELOW. WINDS WILL
REMAIN STRONG OVER THE WRN NORTH SLOPE, AS THE TIGHT PRESSURE
GRADIENT REMAINS THROUGH MONDAY. THIS HAS PROMPTED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ZONE 201, POINT LAY EASTWARD FOR BLOWING SNOW
AND GUSTY WINDS.

.HYDRO...RAIN WILL MOVE BACK INTO THE INTERIOR ON SATURDAY NIGHT
WITH AMOUNTS GENERALLY LESS THAN 1/2 INCH.  RIVER FLOOD WATCH
CONTINUES FOR THE BUCKLAND RIVER IN ZONE 210 THROUGH SATURDAY AS
ICE JAMS COUPLED WITH RAINFALL AND SNOW MELT BRING WATER LEVELS
UP. STILL SOMEWHAT CONCERNED WITH RIVER FLOODING AFTER NEXT BATCH
OF RAIN MOVES THROUGH, BUT CURRENT RIVER FORECASTS ARE A BIT HIGH
GIVEN CURRENT STAGES. STILL THEY ARE HIGH ENOUGH TO WARRANT
MONITORING.

.FIRE WEATHER...NO SIGNIFICANT ISSUES, AS WIDESPREAD RAIN
DIMINISHES THE FIRE THREAT.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ZONE 201 POINT LAY EASTWARD.
         WIND ADVISORY ZONE 202.
         RIVER FLOOD WATCH ZONE 210
MARINE...SMCA AREA 9B
         BRISK WIND AREAS 10A..11A AND 11B.

CS MAY 04

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Deltana and Tanana

When: May 8, 1:00 AM AST to May 12, 8:00 AM AST
Where: Deltana and Tanana forecast zone
Property damage: $104,000
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, May 2004

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: 5394500.