A powerful storm with hurricane-force winds slammed into western Alaska on Wednesday, causing power failures in some tiny coastal villages and warnings that the area could suffer major flooding.
In a Tuesday forecast, the National Weather Service described the storm as “extremely dangerous and life-threatening” and of “an epic magnitude rarely experienced.” The service said, “All people in the area should take precautions to safeguard their lives and property.”No injuries had been reported by Wednesday afternoon, and some of the worst winds had subsided. But forecasters warned that the storm was still strong and the could cause flooding later as waters surge.By late morning, power had been lost, restored and lost again in Point Hope, a village of fewer than 900 people on a thin spit in the Chukchi Sea. The village school, which has an emergency generator, served as a shelter and provided food on Wednesday. Classes had been canceled since Tuesday. Residents worried that houses and their plumbing would begin to freeze as temperatures dipped close to zero with the wind chill. Read More>>