First fall storm of the year damages road in Utqiagvik

The first strong storm of the fall season hit the coastal Arctic with high winds and waves last week, weather officials said. Utqiagvik residents reported a road eroding from extreme weather.

A strong low-pressure system came in from the Chukchi Sea and moved across the Beaufort Sea from Aug. 23 and 24th, National Weather Service Meteorologist Edward Plumb said. The storm brought westerly winds of about 40 mph to the Arctic coast, affecting communities from Wainwright all the way over to Kaktovik, he said. The strongest winds were reported in Utqiagvik.

“The summer season is ending,” he said. “This was the first strong storm we’ve had up on the Arctic coast so far. ... This could be slightly early but not that unusual this time of the year.”

The storm damaged a portion of Egasuk Street near the Bingo facility in Utqiagvik, said Utqiagvik City Mayor Assisaun Toovak.

While residents have not vacated or relocated houses affected by the erosion, some of those buildings are threatened, North Slope Borough spokesperson Araina Danner said.

“Erosion of the bluff in Utqiaġvik has limited access to several homes,” Danner said. “What was once a two-lane road has eroded to a single lane impacting residents’ and emergency services’ access to these properties.”

The city officials were not aware of anyone being displaced by the storm, Toovak said.

“But we’ve made our facilities available if anyone is displaced and prepared to help respond to an emergency,” Toovak said.

Utqiagvik resident Clayton Lambrecht lives on the street damaged by the recent storm. He said that about four more houses were also affected. Lambrecht was still able to get in and out of his house but couldn’t drive his truck up to it because the land eroded.

“It’s my driveway,” Lambrecht said. “Before the storm happened I was able to park at my house. I have to park next door at the neighbor’s house” now.

Lambrecht said the crews from the North Slope Borough built the road back up by the evening of Aug. 24.

With gravel shortage, the borough’s Department of Public Works needs to choose which roads to maintain —for example, the Landfill Road is a priority, while Gas Field and Nunavak roads used for hunting access are not, Danner said.

The recent storm is not a rarity in Utqiagvik and the Arctic. The coast there has been rapidly eroding putting in danger houses, roads and cultural sites.

“Our villages are contending with disappearing historical sites, gravesite erosions and community financial impacts, and worst-case scenario costly relocation,” Danner said. “Inupiat are very adaptable, but only to a certain degree and we need the federal government’s help with coastal erosion and emergency response.”

[Along Utqiaġvik’s eroding coast, hope that a seawall can help keep the community safe]

To protect residents and infrastructure, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been designing a 5-mile-long rock revetment and raising a road that follows the coast.

“We remain hopeful the Barrow Seawall Project is completed in time to prevent further movement of homes in Utqiagvik,” Danner said.