Severely high winds are coming to Western Alaska, according to ongoing forecasts and warnings from the National Weather Service. Please take any precautions needed to prepare for the severe weather headed for our region.
KNOM has received the following public safety announcement from the Nome Police Department. Please read this thoroughly.
This information is provided… to prevent injury, property destruction, or loss of life. This advisory takes effect immediately and will remain in effect until 3pm 11/7/13 or until conditions improve.
The City of Nome advises citizens of impending storm and extreme weather conditions. According to reports issued by the National Weather Service, Category-3-hurricane-force extremely strong, near-hurricane-force winds are moving towards the southern Seward Peninsula.*
Warnings have been issued with conditions worsening as of noon today (11/6/13). Residents of the region should expect high surf, possible coastal flooding, and associated beach erosion. Winds are expected to range from 35 mph to 45 mph with gusts up to 65 mph – and up to 70mph on St. Lawrence Island – with the strongest winds expected this afternoon through early Thursday morning.
All residents are strongly encouraged to tie down any materials around their residences and retrieve any property that could be endangered by rising surf/water levels.
Avoid low lying areas. If you reside in a surf/flood zone, consider relocating until the storm has passed.
Travel should be limited with the expectation that road conditions could rapidly degrade and make emergency response difficult.
All other winter storm advisory and winter precautions should be initiated to protect life and property.
Again, the latest, official weather forecasts can be found online at the Alaska Region Headquarters of the National Weather Service (homepage | forecasts | warnings).
Please be safe.
*The wind-strength description stated in the public service announcement from the Nome Police Department appears to have been inaccurate; per the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, the strongest of the winds expected to hit Western Alaska would fall just below a Category 1 hurricane (not a Category 3). Thanks to Nome resident Rick Anderson for helping us with this correction.
