Alaska, 2016Flood in Alaska, July 23 to 24, 2016
July 23 to 24, 2016 · NWS AJK · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A deep trough of low pressure with a long fetch from the North Pacific to the Gulf of Alaska produced a very strong and wet weather system. The weather front slammed into Alaska's southeast panhandle from late July 22nd and persisted through the 24th.
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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $4,000
- 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.
A deep trough of low pressure with a long fetch from the North Pacific to the Gulf of Alaska produced a very strong and wet weather system. The weather front slammed into Alaska's southeast panhandle from late July 22nd and persisted through the 24th. The area received moderate to heavy rainfall from the 22nd through late in the day on the 23rd. Along with the heavy rainfall there was very high freezing levels which ranged from eight to ten thousand feet. These high freezing level accompanied with the heavy rain increased the runoff from any snow left in the mountains and from area glaciers. Over this period there was about two to three inches of rain at sea level with about five to eight inches at higher elevations. All of the rain and snow/ice melt produce moderate flooding along the Taiya River and flooded the Chilkoot trail, part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, near Dyea Alaska. The river crested around seventeen point thirty five feet which is above moderate flood stage of seventeen feet in the evening hours on July 23.
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 Juneau, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 23, 4:02 AM AKST, 7 hours 58 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 23, 4:02 AM AKST, 7 hours 58 minutes before
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
502 AM AKDT SAT JUL 23 2016
.SHORT TERM...Satellite imagery shows an upper low moving into the
northern central gulf early this morning with a frontal boundary
pushing S through the panhandle. This low and the associated
surface feature will move across the N gulf today before moving
inland and dissipating overnight. Moderate to heavy rainfall will
prevail over SE AK this morning before precip transitions to
showers from NW to SE this afternoon/evening, then diminishes
overnight. Continue to expect rainfall total generally around
1/2-2" with localized amounts to 3". Models remain in good
agreement with the upper low steepening lapse rates and increasing
instability, so maintained mention of thunder mainly over the N
gulf this afternoon and evening. This system is also resulting in
increasing winds across the area with most marine zones forecast
to experience advisory level winds today. N-S oriented channels
expected to reach 30kt, except for Clarence Strait where gales to
35kt. As the boundary pushes S, winds will shift to the SW and
gradually ease overnight. Temperatures will be similar to Friday's
with cloudy skies and rain limiting diurnal spread to a few
degrees. Inherited forecast represented this well and used hi-res
guidance for any minor adjustments.
.LONG TERM.../ Sunday to Friday / A vigorous short wave driving
south along 160W will deepen the upper level through Tuesday to a
large closed low circulation just south-southeast of Cold Bay and
as a result more of the flow aimed at southeast Alaska panhandle
will be out of the south to southwest. The continued onshore flow
should keep shower activity ongoing across southeast Alaska with a
slow improvement to chance levels over the southern panhandle into
Monday. A more organized band of showers will be developing and
moving into the northeast gulf Monday night into Tuesday.
The building surface ridge along southeast Alaska into Monday morning
builds from south to north. The ridge will not be strong enough to
end the clouds and precipitation as it just strong enough to stall
the weak surface impulses over the eastern gulf and steer them
northward towards Yakutat into Monday night.
Forecast pattern hasn't changed much and the ridge building along
the southeast panhandle will help to slow down quick move. With
the newer model solutions agreeing well with current forecast,
only small minor changes were made to the forecast and bringing
added confidence to the forecast into early next week.
&&
.AVIATION...The frontal boundary moving through the panhandle this
morning will result in widespread MVMC-IMC across SE AK today.
Increasing winds ahead of the front will result in LGT-MDT
turbulence SFC-040 along with WS conditions over the central and
southern panhandle this morning/afternoon.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...Heavy rain moving into the area today will result in most
locations receiving 1-2 inches today. This will cause smaller
river systems to rise. Many rivers over the southern panhandle
are low from the dry weather that's been occurring and will not
reach bankfull. However, rivers across the north have seen rises
due to recent warm weather and should respond quicker. Taiya River
near Skagway reached bankfull early this morning, but is expected
to remain fairly steady below minor flood stage. Will continue to
monitor this and Mendenhall Lake, which is forecast to rise to
bankfull late tonight.
As of 3AM, the Salmon River near Hyder was at 26.95 feet, down
slightly from earlier and it may be cresting early this morning.
Debris, including trees and ice bergs, began flowing down the
river Thursday night and is impacting travel into Portland Canal.
Will continue to monitor trends to ensure crest occurred before
updating the statement.
&&
.AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...None.
MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ036.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ012-013-022-031>035-041>043-051-052.
&&
BC/Bezenek
Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/JuneauIn the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 9:10 AM AKST, 2 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1010 AM AKDT SAT JUL 23 2016
AKZ029-240215-
MISTY FJORDS-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...HYDER
1010 AM AKDT SAT JUL 23 2016
...SALMON RIVER REMAINS HIGH DUE TO GLACIER DAM RELEASE...
GAUGE DATA FOR THE SALMON RIVER NEAR HYDER APPREARS TO BE
LEVELING OFF. LEVELS HAVE BEEN HOVERING AROUND A PEAK OF 27.4 FEET
SINCE 7 AM AKDT. EXPECT THE RIVER LEVEL TO FALL STEADILY OVER THE
NEXT TWO DAYS BACK TO NORMAL LEVELS IF THIS TREND CONTINUES.
DEBRIS HAS BEEN REPORTED FLOWING DOWN THE RIVER INTO PORTLAND
CANAL. FLOAT PLANES USING PORTLAND CANAL FOR TAKEOFF OR LANDING
SHOULD USE EXTREME CAUTION.
FERRIN
Flood, Taiya Inlet
- When
- July 23, 12:00 PM AKST to July 24, 7:00 AM AKST
- Where
- Taiya Inlet County, 2.53 mi NW of Skagway to 10.64 mi NW of Skagway
- Cause
- Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
- Property damage
- $4,000
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
- Coordinates
- 59.480, -135.342
After a very dry period for the northern inner channels of Southeast Alaska moderate to heavy rains moved into the area on July 22nd. The high rain rates continued for the next 24 to 36 hours. Rainfall totals from this time frame ranged from around three quarters of an inch near sea level with about two inches in the headwaters at higher elevations. The very warm temperatures created very high freezing levels that increase runoff from snow or ice melt. The Taiya River started to rise in the evening of July 22nd and went above minor flood stage of sixteen point five feet by the late morning on the 23rd. The river continued to rise at a steep rate through the day and crested at seventeen point thirty five feet above moderate flood stage of seventeen feet in the late afternoon. The rain had stopped in the afternoon of the 23rd and the river started to recede. By mid morning on July 24th the river was below minor flood stage. The National Park Service reported that there was significant flooding along the Chilkoot trail with waist deep water at the lower portions of the trail. Several hikers were stuck in the flood waters but were able to make it to safety.
- 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.
- Damaging Winds in Vermont, July 23, 20161 death · $385,000 · 60 kt wind · 25 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Iowa, July 23, 2016$6.5 million · EF1 · 19 events
- Flood and Hail in Massachusetts, July 23, 20161 injured · $762,000 · 50 kt wind · 68 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Minnesota, July 23, 2016$550,000 · 2.25 in hail · 22 events
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, July 23 to 25, 2016$240,000 · 9 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New Hampshire, July 23, 20161 in hail · 44 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, July 23, 2016$51,000 · 1 in hail · 5 events
- Damaging Winds in New York, July 23, 2016$45,000 · 50 kt wind · 5 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Illinois, July 23, 2016$24,000 · 1 in hail · 16 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, July 23 to 27, 2016$30,000 · 1 in hail · 11 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Rhode Island, July 23, 2016$26,000 · 50 kt wind · 5 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, July 23, 2016$23,000 · 1 in hail · 6 events
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: 639737.