High Surf in Alaska

Events

28

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Damage

$7.3 million

• Coastal Flood and High Surf in Alaska, July 29 to 31, 2008$7.8 million · 2 eventsA 980 mb low pressure center moved counter-clockwise across the southern Beaufort Sea during 29th through Aug 1st, bringing several periods of west winds 30 to 50 mph across the Arctic Coast of Alaska.
• Heavy Snow and High Surf in Alaska, September 2 to 5, 2014$150,000 · 4 eventsA 998 mb low pressure center moved from the high Arctic south toward Barrow on the 3rd then east toward Banks Island on the 4th. The low brought gusty west to northwest winds along the Arctic coast from the 3rd through the morning of the 5th.
• High Surf in Alaska, September 12 to 13, 2006$130,000 · 1 eventSouth winds gusting 35 to 45 mph at Kivalina created high surf on top of a sea level elevated by about 4 feet, which damaged a nearly completed, 40-foot wide sea wall at this village situated on a barrier island and threatened by coastal erosion.
• High Surf in Alaska, May 30, 2011$15,000 · 1 eventIce from the Kotzebue sound got pushed ashore from the 28th through the 30th. A prolonged period of west winds of 10 to 20 mph caused large chunks of ice, some 10 to 20 feet high to slide over concrete block matting along the shore line and across Shore Avenue.
• Coastal Flood and High Surf in Alaska, August 2 to 4, 20195 eventsA strong low pressure center tracked north through the Bering Sea across St. Lawrence Island, the Bering Strait, and into the Chukchi Sea between Aug 2-4th, 2019.
• High Surf in Alaska, September 6 to 9, 20123 eventsA 990 mb low developed along the eastern Beaufort Sea Coast on the morning of the 5th and strengthened to 986 mb by 0300AKST on the 6th. The low moved to Banks Island on the afternoon of the 7th, and then very slowly drifted to the northern tip of Victoria Island on the 9th.
• High Surf in Alaska, October 24 to 27, 20163 eventsA weather front moving east across the southern west coast and Bering strait and also into Norton Sound brought south-southwest winds around 30 mph over Norton Sound with gusts as high as 51 kt (55 mph).
• High Surf in Alaska, September 18 to 19, 20172 eventsStrong westerly winds created high surf and minor beach erosion for the coastal areas near Emmonak. Waves and surf built to 6 to 11 feet offshore with runup above the normal high tide line. Also high surf in Norton Sound with waves 4 to 6 feet offshore.
• High Surf in Alaska, July 22 to 24, 20172 eventsA weather front moving east across the west coast and Bering strait and also into Norton Sound brought south-southwest winds around 30 mph over Norton Sound on Saturday July 22nd into Monday of the 24th.
• High Surf in Alaska, August 7, 20051 eventSouthwest winds around 20 knots or 25 mph added to a swell which created high surf in Norton Sound. Some erosion occured on the road between Nome and Council, between mile 21 and 23; road was still passable to heavy trucks. Property damage amount to the road is unknown.
• High Surf in Alaska, July 21 to 22, 2010$5,000 · 1 eventA 990 mb low passed between Wrangel Island and the northwest coast of Alaska on the 22nd. A south wind of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 mph occurred ahead of the low and its associated cold front.
• High Surf in Alaska, October 24 to 31, 20101 eventA few periods of strong north wind at Point Hope during the last week of the month produced significant beach erosion at Point Hope. A total of 12 feet of beach along the north shore of the village was lost.
• High Surf in Alaska, October 31, 20111 eventA nearly stationary 980 mb low about 600 miles north of Barrow produced a long fetch of west winds along the northern Arctic Coast.
• High Surf in Alaska, November 1 to 2, 20111 eventEvent continued from October. A nearly stationary 980 mb low about 600 miles north of Barrow produced a long fetch of west winds along the northern Arctic Coast.
• High Surf in Alaska, September 24, 20121 eventA southwest wind of 20 to 30 mph around the backside of a 988 mb low in the southern Chukchi Sea produced a period of high surf at Kotzebue during the morning hours of the 24th.
• High Surf in Alaska, September 1, 20141 eventEvent continued from August. A weather front moving east across the Seward Peninsula and Norton Sound brought southwest winds around 30 mph over Norton Sound with gusts as high as 40 kt (46 mph).
• High Surf in Alaska, August 31, 20141 eventA weather front moving east across the Seward Peninsula and Norton Sound brought southwest winds around 30 mph over Norton Sound with gusts as high as 40 kt (46 mph).
• High Surf in Alaska, September 30, 20171 eventStrong southerly winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph created high surf and minor beach erosion for the coastal areas near Kivalina and Point Hope. Waves and surf built to 3 to 8 feet offshore with runup above the normal high tide line.
• High Surf in Alaska, October 1, 20171 eventStrong southerly winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph created high surf and minor beach erosion for the coastal areas near Kivalina and Point Hope. Waves and surf built to 3 to 8 feet offshore with runup above the normal high tide line.
• High Surf in Alaska, October 8 to 9, 20171 eventStrong westerly winds 25 to 40 mph created high surf and minor beach erosion for the coastal areas near Kivalina and Point Hope and Shishmaref. Waves and surf built to 3 to 5 feet offshore with runup above the normal high tide line.

High Surf everywhereEvery kind of event in Alaska

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.