Nome, Alaska — The Nome Port Commission is prepping for a steady stream of visitors this summer. Vessels serving the fiber optic cable installation will be in harbor the last week of June.
But it’s the month of August that will likely be the busiest for Nome’s port. While the city isn’t the official host, the US Coast Guard will be in and out of town during its Arctic Chinook search and rescue drill in mid-August.
At its most recent meeting, City Manager Tom Moran told the Port Commission it’s not just Americans who will be in town.
“We’re also going to have some Canadian National Guard presence at our National Guard hanger,” Moran explained.
The Arctic Chinook drill is taking place between Kotzebue and Tin City. While the decision not to be based out of Nome is frustrating for some, Moran says those two locations were next in line for Coast Guard training.
And, he said, it actually might be a good thing.
“Long story short is the fact that we’re not having this monstrous microscope on us during this training session is not a bad thing, administratively, because of the timing,” Moran said.
The timing of the Arctic Chinook drill coincides with what will likely be the port’s busiest day of the summer. The thousand-passenger Crystal Serenity cruise ship will call to Nome’s port on August 21.
