A strong area of low pressure caused wide spread coastal and riverine flooding across the lower Kuskokwim Valley. The gale force winds enhanced high tides and backed up flow from the Kuskokwim River, flooding numerous communities along the river.
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The episode as NWS AFC wrote it up.
A strong area of low pressure caused wide spread coastal and riverine flooding across the lower Kuskokwim Valley. The gale force winds enhanced high tides and backed up flow from the Kuskokwim River, flooding numerous communities along the river. High tide combined with the high winds from the low exacerbated high water across the region with water flowing into communities along the river.
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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 13, 3:52 AM AKST, 9 hours 16 minutes earlier.
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 452 AM AKDT Fri Sep 13 2024 .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3)... Two upper level lows/shortwaves will continue to breakdown and weaken as they move east over the next 24 hours. Most of the precipitation, that was very widespread yesterday, now resides over the eastern Sound, high terrain of the Chugach and Talkeetna Mountains, and portions of the Copper Valley. By this afternoon ridging will take hold of most of the region, bringing dry conditions and some sunshine from Kodiak north through the southern Mat-Su. With this, valley locations that do remain clear and free of stratus and/or fog overnight may see temperatures in the upper 30s come Saturday morning. This ridging and dry weather will be short, as a moderately strong jet begins to point itself right at Southcentral for the weekend. Rain will reach Kodiak Island Saturday morning and quickly spread northeast to most areas for Saturday afternoon and through at least Sunday morning. At the surface, winds will pick up through the typical gaps and passes of the coastal mountain ranges. These will be mitigated by a triple point low developing in the Gulf near the Barren Islands Sunday morning, however the primary low associated with this broad trough is much deeper and near the Bering Strait, which will result in gap winds transitioning over to southerly, up-inlet flow. For late Sunday into Monday, broad southwesterly flow will keep the region cool and cloudy, with upslope precipitation. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days 1 through 3)... A low over Kamchatka drops south into the northern Bering Sea and tracks east towards the West Coast. The associated front digs south into the western Bering today. There is a decent pull of moisture out of the Pacific that will be carried over the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands as well as Southwest Alaska as the front progresses eastward through this weekend. Widespread rain and gale force winds are expected along the front through the weekend. As the system will continue to slowly deepen on its journey to the vicinity of Saint Lawrence Island and perhaps remain nearly stationary there Sunday through Sunday night. With this track, a sustained fetch of southerly to southwesterly winds is favored coming off the eastern Bering and into the coast of Southwest and especially the Kuskokwim Delta Coast. Thus, a Coastal Flood Watch has been issued for the along the Kuskokwim Delta Coast from Saturday morning through late Sunday night from the mouth of the Kuskokwim River to Newtok. In addition, due to persistent southerly to southwest winds up Kuskokwim Bay, a River Flood Watch has been issued along the Kuskokwim River from Bethel to the mouth of the river Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. The greatest push of southerly winds looks to be Saturday morning into the early afternoon before winds turn more southwesterly during that time, but persist into Sunday night. && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7: Monday through Thursday)... Models are in loose agreement to start off the long term period on Monday with an upper low south of Kamchatka lifting across the Western Aleutians by Monday afternoon. Previously, operational models had taken this low on a more southerly track with potential for stronger winds across the Aleutian Chain through Tuesday. More recently, however, the operational models have trended substantially further north, with agreement between the models becoming much poorer. This has resulted in putting more confidence in the ensemble guidance, which has been more consistent and in better agreement keeping the southerly track of the upcoming low. What this means is a continued active pattern for the Bering and Southwest Alaska with above normal precipitation chances expected and potential for elevated winds as a low and its attendant front span the entire west domain. Conditions will be somewhat quieter to start off the long term period for Southcentral. A trough over interior Alaska should be in the process of departing to the northeast with brief high pressure setting into Southcentral on Monday. However, ensemble guidance brings the previously mentioned Bering low and its attendant front into Southcentral by late Tuesday with increasing precipitation chances. These precipitation chances look to linger through the second half of next week with seasonably normal temperatures for the region. BL && .AVIATION... PANC...While it is possible for some low stratus and fog to move in from the north this morning, conditions should remain VFR through the period with light winds. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Tuntutuliak Public Safety Office reported several houses close to the river were filled with water. Conditions reportedly Worse than Merbok, with more water and stronger wind/waves. A boat was reported to be overturned in the river by wind/waves; it later sunk.
Napakiak City Office reported water over the roads coinciding with high tide. Water moved gravel along and off the street. Sloughs filled up along a road that runs between the city and airport, overrunning the road with water. Southwest winds during high tide further contributed toward higher water. Water levels came up over the river banks with this system at about 2 and a half feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, September 2024
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: 1211726, 1211727.