Weekend flood watch begins for broad swath of Northwest Alaska

Much of Northwest Alaska is under a four-day flood watch through the weekend, as weather moving east from Siberia brings heavy rains to the western Brooks Range.

The National Weather Service flood watches, in place from Friday morning until Monday night, cover the Kobuk and Noatak river valleys as well as smaller rivers and streams draining north from the western Brooks Range. They cover an area extending from Kotzebue almost as far north as Barrow.

According to the watches, affected areas could see 2 to 4 inches of rain through Monday. Some areas of the Brooks Range have already received up to an inch of rain over a 15-hour period since about 3 p.m. Thursday.

"Heavy rainfall will cause significant rises in the levels of rivers and streams," meteorologists wrote. "Many smaller rivers and streams, especially those draining out of mountainous terrain, will rise to bankfull or above bankfull stage with flooding possible."

Meteorologists advised people planning travel or recreational activities in the region to take note of possible effects, such as river sandbars used as landing strips by bush pilots being submerged.

Ben Bartos, a Fairbanks-based weather service meteorologist, said the heaviest rains of the weekend will likely occur Saturday morning, with some affected areas seeing half to three-fourths of an inch of rain.

"The event hasn't really started yet — it'll be a few days before we see how it pans out," Bartos said.

No specific communities in the region have drawn particular concern from meteorologists, Bartos said, since most are in coastal areas near rivers large enough to safely handle the downpour. Residents should still watch local rivers, however.

"Anytime you've got a lot of rain moving through, keep an eye on the river level," Bartos said.

People in affected areas should also monitor radio broadcasts for updates on any potential flooding.

"Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop," meteorologists wrote.