Some flooding has hit the Interior Alaska community of Fort Yukon as ice on the Yukon River continues to break up and move downstream.
Fort Yukon, population 583, was issued a flood warning on Sunday after the community of Circle, 55 miles upstream, was hit with major flooding as waters rose rapidly, flooding nearly every structure in the community. Seventeen homes in Circle were inundated with water, and the 25 occupants of those homes are being fed by the community with help from the Red Cross and Fairbanks Food Bank, said Alaska Homeland Security spokesman Jeremy Zidek on Wednesday.
So far Fort Yukon hasn't faced significant flooding like Circle, but the risk remains.
The break-up front, a surge of ice and water that caused Circle's flooding, moved downstream quickly on Sunday but hit an ice jam about 12 miles upstream from Fort Yukon. While the ice jam remains in place, some water is draining downriver. That's good news, Zidek said, as "the greater amount of water behind that jam the greater the potential for flooding."
Yukon River water has come over the banks, spread into the woods around the ice jam and is dumping back into the river.
While there is some flooding in low-lying areas of Fort Yukon, so far it isn't significant, Zidek said. The National Weather Service reported Wednesday morning that the ball field, old tank farm, area around the tribal hall and one access ramp at the airport are flooded. Several homes on the downstream side of town also have been drenched.
The community is taking precautions in case flooding worsens, Zidek said. Seven elders were evacuated from Fort Yukon on Tuesday, and a plan is in place to shut off electricity if water levels rise. "They've asked people to be aware of the church bells," Zidek said. "If the church bells go off, they want people to evacuate."
School superintendent Lance Bowie said the waters have gone down some since Monday, but so far the water is holding steady. "They are anticipating that there may be some water coming," he said.
Water could rise rapidly if the ice jam releases completely. And the National Weather Service writes, "Flooding could be made even worse if a new ice jam forms down river from the village."
A flood watch continues through 10 a.m. Thursday in Fort Yukon.
Contact Laurel Andrews at laurel(at)alaskadispatch.com