Storm in 1974 was slightly more damaging

3 p.m. update: How does this year's storm compare to '74

Say goodbye to the mega storm.

"It's out of here," said Julie Malingowski, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.

The center of the storm has wandered this afternoon to a point about 500 miles northwest of Cape Lisburne, on the Chukchi Sea, and is still heading northwest, Malingowski said.

As village and city leaders now take stock of the damage left behind -- torn roofs, flooded roads, damaged power lines -- we wondered if the storm was indeed as powerful as predicted earlier this week.

The storm has often been compared to an infamous 1974 Bering Sea storm. How'd the two weather events compare in Nome?

In '74, water levels peaked at about 12 feet above normal, Malingowski said. Yesterday, water levels in the 2011 storm peaked at about 10 feet above normal levels, she said.

"It was a little bit stronger then, as far as the effects in Nome go, but I think the overall effect of the storm was similar," she said.

Another way to measure the strength of a storm is by barometric pressure. In general, the lower the pressure, the greater the storm. Both the 1974 storm and this week's storm had similar barometric pressure measurements - about 970 millibars, as of Nov. 12, 1974 and 6 a.m. Wednesday, respectively, Malingowski said.

Noon update: Flood warning canceled for much of Western Alaska

The National Weather Service has canceled the coastal flood warnings for much of Western Alaska.

As of about 11 a.m., forecasters had called off the flood warning for the Chukchi Sea coast, the Bering Strait coast and on St. Lawrence Island. That includes the villages of Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, Gambell, Wales and Diomede, among others.

However, warnings of flooding and beach erosion remain in place through 6 tonight for eastern Norton Sound communities including Unalakleet, Stebbins, St. Michael and Shaktoolik. A flood warning for the Yukon Delta, including Mountain Village, Emmonak, Scammon Bay and other villages, is expected to expire at 3 p.m.

11 a.m. update: No major damage reported; possible missing person

All told, at least 37 Alaska towns and villages have reported some kind of fallout from this week's superstorm, state officials said today.

The problems range from minor flooding to power outages to villagers taking refuge in school shelters, said Jeremy Zidek, spokesman for the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

No one has been reported injured in the storm as of this morning, Zidek said. "At this time we don't have any reports of major flooding or major damage."

But word of a missing person has emerged from the Seward Peninsula village of Teller after a man reportedly left on a four-wheeler and failed to return, Zidek said.

"Teller search-and-rescue are doing a search. They looked for him a little last night, but the weather was such, they felt it was dangerous for the search parties," he said.

Teller is about 72 miles northwest of Nome.

A power outage in the Northwest Alaska village of Point Hope led about 450 people to stay overnight at a shelter, Zidek said. "Their police department, their health clinic and their school were running on backup power."

10:45 a.m. update: Worst has passed in Kivalina, Deering. "We're fine."

The mayor of Kivalina has announced that the storm incident is officially over, said Colleen Swan, an emergency responder for the village on the west side of the Seward Peninsula.

"A lot of people stayed in the school last night or sent their little ones there," she said. "It was one huge slumber party."

Swan said school personnel who made arrangements for emergency shelter at the school did a remarkably good job. "I applaud their efforts and organization," she said.

Swan said there were reports of huge winds through the night but no early reports of major damage. "It's still too dark to tell."

Water appeared to go over the lowest lying areas, with the town dump site between the ocean and the lagoon flooded, she said.

Bonita Barr with the Native Village of Deering, on the north side of the Seward Peninsula, said she saw readings of winds at 69 mph early Thursday morning, but the town of 122 people came through in good shape. Preparations were made to evacuate people to the school, but that turned out not to be necessary.

"We're fine," she said. "But we did have high waters."

The road to the airport was under water for three to four hours overnight, she said. The low and exposed situation of that road, located in a flood plain, has been a concern for villagers for some time, Barr noted.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Alaska's superstorm continued today with the National Weather Service warns of coastal flooding and major erosion in parts of Western and Northwest Alaska.

In Nome, water levels dropped from a Wednesday-night peak of about 10 feet above normal to 5 feet above normal levels as of early this morning, forecasters reported. Continued minor flooding and beach erosion are possible.

To the east along Norton Sound, a flood warning is in place through 6 p.m. for coastal villages such as Unalakleet, Stebbins, St. Michael, Elim, Koyuk and Shaktoolik.

Major coastal flooding and severe beach erosion are expected all along the eastern Norton Sound coast, the weather service says. Among the dangers: Waters shoving sea ice ashore, causing severe damage in areas such as Norton Bay, north of Unalakleet.

Flooding has been reported in Koyuk and St. Michael, the weather service says. West winds will push waves onshore, raising water levels again today on west-facing shores. The water levels are expected to decrease tonight.

Among the areas where coastal flood warnings remain in place today:

• The Chukchi Sea coast, including Point Hope, Shishmaref and Kivalina, through noon today.

• St. Lawrence Island and the Bering Strait coast, through noon today. That includes Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales and Diomede.

• The Yukon Delta, through 3 p.m. today. Area includes Mountain Village, Emmonak, Alakanuk, Kotlik, Pilot Station, St. Marys, Scammon Bay, Marshall, Nunam Iqua and Pitkas Point. Sea levels 6 to 8 feet above normal are expected to continue today, with major coastal flooding and severe beach erosion reported this morning.

We're talking with villagers living in the path of the storm today and want to hear your stories about what happened overnight. To talk to a reporter, call Kyle Hopkins at (907) 257-4334 or email khopkins@adn.com.