Alaska, 2009

Flood in Alaska, May 15 to 17, 2009

May 15 to 17, 2009 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A large surge of water and ice moving down the Yukon River produced minor flooding in Nulato. There was approximately 2 feet of water over the road to the village water supply well, and there was about 8 inches of water over the road to the power plant at approximately 9 am on the 15th.

Where it happened

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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.

A large surge of water and ice moving down the Yukon River produced minor flooding in Nulato. There was approximately 2 feet of water over the road to the village water supply well, and there was about 8 inches of water over the road to the power plant at approximately 9 am on the 15th. The flooding was minor and no homes were flooded. The water levels dropped below bank full on the morning of the 17th. Estimated property damage is $0.

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 15, 1:06 AM AKST, 4 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 1:06 AM AKST, 4 hours 54 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
206 AM AKDT FRI MAY 15 2009

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH 60 HOURS. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE
OVER BERING SEA WILL MOVE EASTWARD AND FORCE DEEP TROUGH OUT OF
CENTRAL ALASKA. OMEGA BLOCK SETS UP OVER EASTERN ALASKA BY LATE
SUNDAY AND INTO MONDAY. THIS WILL SEND TEMPERATURES SOARING AGAIN
OVER THE CENTRAL INTERIOR. FEEL SKEPTICAL ABOUT MOVING RIDGE SO
QUICKLY EASTWARD IN THIS TYPE OF PATTERN.

BELIEVE IT IS LIKELY THAT THE RIDGE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FOR A
FEW DAYS LONGER THAN ADVERTISED BEFORE IT LAYS OVER.

WINDS WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY OVER ZONE 213 LATE TONIGHT AS
APPROACHING LOW TIGHTENS THE GRADIENT IN THE AREA.

VERY LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUE MANY PARTS OF THE ARCTIC COAST.
FOG HAS ALSO INUNDATED THE AREA.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE YUKON RIVER
FROM KOYUKUK TO HOLY CROSS AND FROM RUBY TO JUST ABOVE KOYUKUK.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLOOD WATCH FOR AKZ215-AKZ216.
&&

CF MAY 09

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, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When
May 15, 6:00 AM AKST to May 17, 8:00 AM AKST
Where
Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys County, 1.59 mi NNW of Nulato to 0.7 mi W of Nulato
Cause
Ice Jam
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
64.752, -158.084

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

More

Every storm in Alaska in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, May 2009

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: 163408.