Historic extreme events library
The frequency and intensity of wildfires, coastal storms, flooding, landslides, avalanches and other extreme events are increasing in Alaska. An understanding of past events helps people plan for the future, but historical records of extreme events are often incomplete and very difficult to locate. Partnering with the Alaska Fellows, ACCAP worked with recent graduate Caroline Erickson in 2023 and Anjali Shah in 2025 to compile a library of historical weather and climate events that significantly impacted Alaskans.
Erickson and Shah combed newspapers, disaster declarations, agency briefings and other sources to create a suite of over a dozen outreach products that clearly communicate the meteorological event and its associated impacts. The visually appealing products cover a variety of topics including: the 2025 typhoon Halong that devastated western Alaska, the 1996 Miller’s Reach Fire that burned over 300 structures near Houston, and 1980s flooding that caused widespread infrastructure damage in southcentral.
Anchorage Winds
Strong winds in Anchorage: why, when, and how?
Coastal Flooding in Nome
Historical flooding and impactful storms in Nome from 1900-2022.
Fairbanks Fires
Wildfire is an important part of the boreal forest ecosystem, but it has also damaged much life and property through…
Harmful Algal Blooms
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) events and their impacts on seafood organized by region.
Historical Spring Breakups
Breakup causes flooding and overbank ice, which has inflicted damage in many Alaskan river communities.
Interior Winter Rain
Winter Rain ices over streets and vegetation, impacting transportation, power, and subsistence.
North Slope Sea Ice
Sea ice in the Arctic is declining, shifting the composition and function of Arctic marine ecosystems.
Halong
On October 10-13, 2025, ex-typhoon Halong brought devastating winds and high water to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Kotzebue Area Coastal Floods
In October of both 2024 and 2025, the City of Kotzebue and the Kotzebue Sound area experienced coastal flooding.
Merbok
On September 15, 2022, ex-typhoon Merbok brought high winds and major coastal flooding to Western Alaska.
2020 Southeast Landslides
Beginning on December 1st, 2020, Northern Southeast Alaska experienced extreme precipitation and snowmelt which caused landslides and flooding.
2016-2019 Southeast Alaska Drought
From 2016-2019, Southeast experienced a drought which led to water shortages, power restrictions, wildfires, and more.
2013 Breakup Flooding
The 2013 breakup season is remembered for catastrophic flooding on the Yukon River in Galena.
2011 Bering Sea Superstorm
On November 8th 2011, a strong storm caused flooding in Norton and Kotzebue Sound.
Juneau Mendenhall River Flooding
Juneau has experienced glacial lake outburst flooding events since 2011, severely damaging property in the Mendenhall Valley.
2008 Juneau Avalanche
A series of avalanches destroyed a section of transmission lines that connect Juneau to the Snettisham Hydroelectric Facility.
2005 Bristol Bay Storm
A powerful storm brought high winds and water to the Bristol Bay region.
2005 Kaktovik Extreme Blizzard
In January 2005, the Village of Kaktovik suffered an extreme blizzard and 2/3 of the village lost power.
1996 Miller’s Reach Fire
On Sunday, June 2nd, a fire began on Miller’s Reach Road near Houston, Alaska.
1995 Southcentral Flooding
September 1995 brought intense rain and heavy flooding to southcentral Alaska, especially the Kenai Peninsula.
1994 Koyukuk River Flooding
August 1994 brought heavy rains and wide scale flooding to the Koyukuk River basin. The Koyukuk, Kobuk and Noatak rivers…
1989 Cold Snap
The end of January 1989 brought sustained, exceptionally low temperatures to the state testing even the most prepared Alaskans.
1986 Southcentral Flooding
October 9-12 brought intense rain and flooding impacting the Seward area and the lower Susitna River Valley.
1984 Thanksgiving Day Storm
A storm surge produced coastal inundation in areas unaccustomed to such flooding in Southeast Alaska.
1974 Bering Sea Storm
On November 11th 1974, a very strong storm brought coastal flooding, winds and damage across the coast of western Alaska.