Alaska News

Southeast Alaska rainfall breaks records, prompts landslide, flood advisories

Communities across Southeast Alaska saw rainfall and temperature records set and the region remains under flood watch, with the rain expected to continue falling "steadily" through the rest of the week, said forecasters with the National Weather Service in Juneau.

"We are seeing rainfall rates at about three-quarters of an inch every three hours, in several places down here," Juneau National Weather Service meteorologist Geri Swanson said.

Swanson said the weather service expects low lying areas, "mainly small streams and culverts" to flood.

While it isn't unheard of for a flood watch to be issued for Southeast in January, it isn't typical either, Swanson said.

"We have been looking at satellite information and it looks like the moisture is coming from the Indian Ocean, near the Philippines."

In light of the unusual January rainfall and warmer temperatures, which much of the state has seen this winter, Swanson said she decided to tally the rainfall totals for Tuesday.

The record daily rainfall amounts for Jan. 20 showed 10 broken records. The oldest record broken was at the Juneau Airport, which had previously bee set in 1948 at 0.95 inches of rain, but was reset Tuesday with 1.23 inches.

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But the most significant broken record was at the Ketchikan airport. On Jan. 20, it broke its 2004 record -- of 3.14 inches -- by more than two inches with 5.56 inches of rain.

Records in Snettisham, Petersburg, the Haines airport, and Klawock were all broken by about one inch, as well as three Juneau locations.

Several Southeast communities also set temperature records Tuesday.

Klawock, Port Alexander and two locations in Juneau all also broke their daily maximum temperatures for Jan. 20 on Tuesday, while Petersburg, Hollis, Ketchikan, Coffman Cove and Hoonah all also broke the records for the daily high minimum.

"We have no idea when the rain will stop, but right now we are looking at steady rain through the rest of the week and slightly warmer temperatures," Swanson said.

The National Weather Service in Juneau issued a public weather statement early in the week, warning residents throughout Southeast Alaska of the potential for landslides and mudslides. On Wednesday, Swanson said those warnings are still relevant and mentioned a small landslide near the Haines Highway on Lutak Road.

One part of Southeast is getting a bit of winter weather; the Klondike Highway, near White Pass, above Skagway saw a foot of snow accumulate in the previous 24-hours, Swanson said Wednesday morning.

Megan Edge

Megan Edge is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News.

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