Background Articles

The American Red Cross of Alaska is preparing to support up to 2,000 flood evacuees through the winter in Anchorage, operating shelters as residents from hard-hit Western Alaska villages continue arriving. Evacuees describe gratitude for aid and concerns about adapting to big-city life.

Remnants of Typhoon Halong drove record storm surge and hurricane-force winds into Western Alaska, devastating Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta villages like Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. Officials report dozens of homes destroyed, mass rescues, widespread outages, and at least one death, with many residents sheltering and recovery efforts underway.

This summer, Alaska experienced an unprecedented heat advisory in Juneau and Fairbanks, marking a significant and unusual shift in its typically cold climate.

More intense future wildfires, fueled by further climate change, could lead to 70,000 deaths from smoke exposure a year, according to a new study.

Alaska DEC tests of mussels from Kachemak Bay found no domoic acid toxin associated with amnesic shellfish poisoning, though mussels can quickly expel the toxin so its presence in other species remains uncertain.

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority returns to Vittersjön near Ockelbo to conduct updated measurements of radioactivity in fish 35 years after Chernobyl, urging anglers to submit summer catches for analysis.

A tick found on the Avalon Peninsula tested positive for Lyme disease, but provincial health authorities say the risk to residents remains low.

Tick populations are surging in the United States. Binghamton University experts offer tips to avoid tick bites. -

Sitka had an early bloom that led to high shellfish toxins in April, and there is currently a paralytic shellfish toxin advisory across Southeast for recreational and subsistence harvest.

Residents of Baker Lake remain under a boil‑water advisory after 96 litres of heating fuel spilled near the community’s water intake, prompting increased sampling and monitoring.

The decision worried some local scientists and experts who say the data was vital for people to be able to monitor air quality and their government’s progress in improving public health.

The article recounts the extraordinary 1925 dog sled relay that delivered diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, amid a severe epidemic, highlighting the centennial of this historic event and the heroic efforts of mushers and their dogs who braved harsh conditions to save lives.

Maine's investigation into PFAS contamination from sludge-based fertilizer has discovered the chemicals on over 100 farms, posing potential health risks.

In the early hours of Friday, Sept. 27, Hurricane Helene swept through the Upstate. Seven people were killed by the storm in Greenville County, among nearly 50 in South Carolina. Helene was the deadliest hurricane in state history.

Norilsk Nickel has deployed 16 automatic monitoring stations across Greater Norilsk to measure SO₂, H₂S, CO, NO₂, particulate matter, temperature, pressure and humidity, providing real-time air quality data every 20 minutes via the city’s website.

A 65-year-old woman in South Surrey was tragically killed by a falling tree during a severe windstorm.

Alaska is experiencing rapid environmental changes, including record-high temperatures, shrinking sea ice, increased wildfires, and unusual wildlife patterns, such as the decline of salmon and the rise of snow goose populations.

A fishing vessel capsized in the Gulf of Alaska during a storm, leaving seven empty survival suits but no sign of the five-member crew.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has recently been detected in Alaskan wildlife, primarily affecting species like geese, ducks, and eagles. No human cases have been reported, but it poses a significant risk to domestic poultry flocks.

In November and December, Western Alaska experiences rapid weather changes due to large-scale atmospheric conditions, with winds causing sudden temperature rises, especially when moving inland from the sea or down from mountains.