December 1986: Under a coat of ice, the tower is near collapse

December 3, 1986 A storm this week deposits ice the thickness of cucumbers on the KNOM tower and its guy wires, which sag dangerously. The tower is in imminent danger of collapsing. Tower expert Rod Ewing immediately flies in from Wasilla, Alaska to supervise Timothy Cochran and Tom Busch as they strain to keep the […]

A missing girl found, and the threats of fall storms

Recently, KNOM coordinated with the Nome Police Department to locate a missing 10-year-old girl who had disappeared on her way home from school. Just as we always do for all missing-person cases, we immediately began broadcasting announcements with the girl’s description and her last known whereabouts, in the hopes that someone in our listening range […]

October 1992: Seas surge in fall storm

October 5, 1992 The worst storm in eighteen years strikes Nome: a low-pressure center swells a storm surge to eight feet above normal, with waves cresting ten feet above that. Covered with flotsam and jetsam, Nome’s main thoroughfare is under water, and where it runs along the beach, half of it is gone. Several roofs […]

Heavy weather, a week of cancelled flights, and new volunteers

As you may know, the Western Alaska communities that we serve are not connected to the state’s road system. Our ability to travel and to transport goods is thoroughly dependent upon commercial and cargo airlines and, especially, upon the weather. Lately, low visibility and other poor conditions have forced the cancellation of a number of Nome-bound flights. […]

Rain, fish, boats, and Rolland!

Summer storms continue to dump lots of rain, and some streams and rivers are swollen with water and fish. We have seen wonderful examples of folks sharing their catch with elders and families who really savor these fresh food staples. Recently, KNOM opened its doors to the Coast Guard to inform our listeners about voluntary […]