In July 2025, lightning-triggered wildfires near the Kobuk River in Northwest Alaska threatened local homes and the tundra ecosystem. The author returned by small plane to set up firebreaks and sprinkler systems with fire crews to protect his sod house and surrounding caribou habitat.

Flash floods kill an average of 127 people annually in the U.S., and nearly half of all deaths involve vehicles. People don’t realize that it doesn’t take much water to strand or even sweep away a car.

A storm that started Sunday and largely tailed off by Monday afternoon had dropped nearly 17 inches on the city by evening to establish the new seasonal snowfall total, according to the National Weather Service. The storm closed schools in Anchorage and Mat-Su on Monday, and contributed to a fatal collision on the Parks Highway.

A commercial building's roof in South Anchorage collapsed due to heavy snow loads and potential design flaws in older wooden truss systems, prompting officials to advise building owners to clear roofs and assess structural safety.

With wildfires spreading in the Kobuk River country of Northwest Alaska, I just knew I needed to find a way to get home.The Nuna fire is burning still, pushed north by strong southerly winds. There has been some rain, not a lot. I remain concerned about my home. I’m worried about the caribou, too, and what brush will revegetate that tundra after these fires. I’m worried about that beautiful big land between the Jades and Onion Portage, the Hunt and Nuna river valleys.

Homer Spit Road sustained damage from high tides and winds, prompting short-term repairs and highlighting the need for long-term erosion control measures.

At least 36 ships will skip scheduled stops in Skagway this summer because the cruise dock closed after a landslide sent debris toppling from the mountain above.

The second-worst flood on record in the Interior Alaska community of Manley Hot Springs began to recede on Sunday, but dozens of residents were displaced and cut off from power. Flooding is also reported in Sleetmute, Red Devil and Georgetown on the Kuskokwim River and Circle on the Yukon River.

“It almost looks like a tornado came through, because the wind was just ripping the trees down and across things. So there’s one house that was completely obliterated. Several, several trees. We can’t even get to it to see how many… landed on it,” said resident Tyler Magart.

A power line fell on a car in Portland, killing three people and injuring a baby during an ice storm that turned roads and mountain highways treacherous in the Pacific Northwest.

Forecasters say they are expecting significant coastal erosion from Utqiagvik to Unalakleet from the second severe-weather event to hit the region in three weeks.

A severe fall storm caused significant damage in Kotzebue, Alaska, with high winds and rising water levels leading to airport inaccessibility, disrupted flights, and emergency declarations.

The storm brought winds up to 40 mph to communities from Wainwright to Kaktovik, weather officials said. High waves damaged a road in Utqiagvik, affecting around five houses, residents reported.

Rescue teams raced into Vermont on Monday after heavy rain drenched parts of the Northeast, washing out roads, forcing evacuations and halting some airline travel. One person was killed in New York as she was trying to leave her home. Officials say the storm has already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage.

A storm bringing strong wind, rain and snow to Southcentral Alaska on Tuesday caused power outages from Anchorage to Whittier and damaged some homes on the Anchorage Hillside. The weather service reported a peak gust of 133 mph on Sunburst mountain on the western Kenai Peninsula.

Lytton, British Columbia, broke successive Canadian heat records early this week, with temperatures peaking at 121 degrees on Tuesday. Then the fires swept in.

Juneau’s urban avalanche forecast describes “extreme” danger Saturday evening. Centennial Hall will open as an emergency shelter at 8 p.m. Saturday.

People in Kodiak, Homer and Sand Point were among those who headed to higher ground after the quake prompted a tsunami warning from the Alaska Peninsula to the western Kenai Peninsula.

August 9, 2022 Borough officials said multiple roads were closed Tuesday and more were being monitored after several days of rain.

It’s not often that Southcentral Alaska residents wake to thunder in the middle of the night. But what forecasters are calling an unusual storm moved from the Talkeetna Mountains into the Matanuska Valley and then Anchorage and south to the Kenai Peninsula from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. At least one lightning-caused structure fire was reported.