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A powerful storm swept through the Bering Strait on Saturday, causing widespread flooding in several coastal communities in western Alaska, causing power outages and residents fleeing to higher ground.
The force of the water moved some houses off their foundations, and one house in Nome drifted down the river until it got stuck on a bridge.
The powerful storm — the remnants of Typhoon Merbok — has been affecting weather patterns as far away as California, where strong winds and rare late summer rains are expected.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths in Alaska, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Officials warned some places could experience the worst flooding in 50 years, with high water levels likely to take up to 14 hours to recede.
Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration for affected communities during the day.
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Hardest hit was the village of Golovin, with about 170 residents, who mostly sought shelter in schools or three buildings on the hillside. Winds in the village exceeded 60 mph (95 km/h) and water levels were 11 feet (3.3 m) above the normal high tide line, and are expected to rise another 2 feet (60 cm) on Saturday before peaking.
“Much of the lower part of the community was flooded with submerged buildings and structures,” said Ed Plumb, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.
Clarabelle Lewis, a facilities manager for the tribal government’s Chinik Eskimo community, was among those seeking refuge on the hill overlooking Golovin. She and others weathered the storm at the tribal office after making sure the items in their home were protected from strong winds and helping neighbors to do the same.
“The wind was howling; it was loud,” she said.
The Bureau of Meteorology said most communities experienced wind gusts ranging from 41 mph (66 kph) to 67 mph (108 kph), but Cape Romantsov peaked at 91 mph (146 mph) km/h).
Lewis has lived in Golovin for 20 years and has never experienced a storm like this.
“We’ve had several floods in the past, but it’s never been this severe,” she said. “We’ve never moved a house from their foundations.”
There were also reports of flooding in Hooper Bay, St. Michael’s, Unalakleet and Shaktoolik, Plumb said, with waves crashing over berms in front of the community.
In Hooper Bay, more than 250 people have taken shelter at the school, Bethel public radio station KYUK reported. The village is one of the largest along the coast with nearly 1,400 inhabitants.
Brittany Taraba, the school’s vice-principal, said three houses had their foundations knocked down and much of the village was flooded.
Residents have supported each other, including donating recently caught and processed moose to feed those sheltering in schools.
“Watching this community is amazing,” Taraba told KYUK.
The storm will cross the Bering Strait on Saturday before entering the Chukchi Sea, Plum said.
“Then it would park west of Cape Hope and weaken,” he said of the community on Alaska’s northwest coast.
He said there would be high water levels near the northern Bering Sea by Saturday night until it began to drop on Sunday. Northward water levels in the Chukchi Sea and Kotzeb Strait regions are expected to rise by Sunday.
In northern California, wind gusts of up to 40 mph (64 km/h) are expected Saturday night through Sunday morning along the coast from Sonoma County to Santa Cruz and at high elevations in the Sierra Nevada, the Weather Bureau said. Hour).
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Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Wolbrun said strong winds could knock down branches and dry trees and cause power outages.
The storm is expected to start Sunday morning with up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain along the coast of Sonoma County, as the rain moves south into the San Francisco area and into the Santa Cruz Mountains, Walbrun said. Rainfall will decrease.
“It’s been a fair amount of rain at the beginning of the season,” he said, adding that the storm is expected to last until at least Monday, leaving commutes wet and roads slippery.
In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of the state capital Sacramento, firefighters have been battling the largest wildfire in the state so far this year. While rain is needed, wind is a concern for staff battling the mosquito blaze, which was 21 percent contained as of Saturday morning.
Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean said “winds will definitely lead to erratic fire behavior” that could ignite new hot spots despite welcome moisture. “Rain won’t put out the fire, but it will help.”
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