Flood in Alaska, October 17, 2022

Name: Flood in Alaska, October 17, 2022
Start: 2022-10-17T08:00
End: 2022-10-17T10:00
Location: Alaska

October 17, 2022 · NWS AJK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The region had been getting impacted with multiple atmospheric rivers throughout most of autumn. This led to above normal stream flows on most area rivers and streams.

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 AJK wrote it up.

The region had been getting impacted with multiple atmospheric rivers throughout most of autumn. This led to above normal stream flows on most area rivers and streams. Another warm and moist atmospheric river lifted out of the north Pacific and transported subtropical moisture into southeast Alaska. The very complex terrain of the region produced heavy rain with amounts from 1 to 1.5 inches in 24 hours. This heavy rain along with the very warm temperatures at elevation increased the ice melt from the glaciers in the headwater of the Taiya River. The Taiya River was already near record streamflow for this time of year and with more runoff it river went over its banks and produced moderate flooding along the Taiya River in the morning hours of October 17th.

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 Oct 17, 3:01 AM AKST, 4 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 17, 3:01 AM AKST, 4 hours 59 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 17, 5:03 AM AKST, 2 hours 57 minutes before

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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, Taiya Inlet

When: October 17, 8:00 AM AKST to 10:00 AM AKST
Where: Taiya Inlet County, 3.05 mi NNW of Skagway to 3.85 mi N of Skagway
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 59.489, -135.340

Very anomalously warm temperatures along with heavy rain moved into the northern inner channels of Southeast Alaska. This caused the Taiya River to rise at a very steep rate through the late evening hours of October 16th into the early morning hours on October 17th. The river was already running very high for this time of year and the ground was pretty saturated from previous atmospheric river events. The Taiya River went above minor flood stage of 16.5 feet by day break on October 17th before crest right at moderate flood stage of 17.0 feet. There was flooding over the lower portions of the Chilkoot trail but due to how late in the season this event was the impacts were minimal along with prior damage from previous record flooding events earlier in the month.

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 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, October 2022

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1061465.