Flood in Alaska, May 23 to 25, 2008

Name: Flood in Alaska, May 23 to 25, 2008
Start: 2008-05-23T17:00
End: 2008-05-25T02:00
Location: Alaska

May 23 to 25, 2008 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

including the road to the airport and low-lying areas of the village. Water levels fell quickly on the night of the 25th as the ice began running in the river.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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.

An ice jams on the Kwigkuk River the evening of the 24th caused flooding of portions of the village...including the road to the airport and low-lying areas of the village. Water levels fell quickly on the night of the 25th as the ice began running in the river. Property damage amount not available by report deadline.

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 23, 7:51 AM AKST, 9 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 23, 7:51 AM AKST, 9 hours 9 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
151 PM ADT FRI MAY 23 2008

.DISCUSSION...
NUMERICAL MODELS CONTINUE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH MONDAY.
UPPER AIR MODELS SHOW A LOW IN THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS LIFTING
NORTH TO THE NORTHERN BERING SEA BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. RIDGING
OVER EASTERN ALASKA WILL MOVE EAST TO WESTERN CANADA DURING
THE SAME TIME PERIOD. THIS WILL CREATE STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW
INTO THE INTERIOR AND NORTHERN ALASKA PRODUCING WARM AIR
ALOFT...THUS ELIMINATING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THERE.

THE INTERIOR WILL SEE DRY CONDITIONS WITH ADVISORY LEVEL
WINDS IN THE ALASKA RANGE. THESE WINDS ALONG WITH LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL PRODUCE RED FLAG WARNINGS.

THE NORTH SLOPE WILL HAVE PATCHY MORNING FOG AND MOSTLY CLEAR
SKIES. NO PRECIPITATION EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY.

WESTERN ALASKA WILL BE VERY WINDY AND RAINY THROUGH MONDAY.
ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS DENSE FOG WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE NIGHT
LOCALLY REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE AT
TIMES. DRYING WILL START IN SOUTHWEST ALASKA TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES WILL CREATE RED FLAG CONDITIONS IN ZONES 223
225 AND 226 THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS
OF THE YUKON RIVER IN ZONE 214 NEAR EMMONAK.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ223-AKZ225-AKZ226.

RED FLAG WARNING FOR AKZ223-AKZ225-AKZ226.

FLOOD WATCH FOR AKZ214.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.
&&

RL MAY 08

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Yukon Delta

When: May 23, 5:00 PM AKST to May 25, 2:00 AM AKST
Where: Yukon Delta County, 0.76 mi S of Emmonak to 2.32 mi NE of Emmonak
Cause: Ice Jam
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 62.769, -164.498

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 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, May 2008

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: 90972.