YUKON-KUSKOKWIM DELTA, Alaska (KTUU) – While strong storms are typical for the Bering Sea during fall months, experts say ex-Typhoon Halong was different because its path caused a massive storm surge that highlighted growing vulnerabilities in Alaska’s coastal communities.
Climate specialist Rick Thoman with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, warns that the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta area faces a dangerous combination of threats that could worsen future storm impacts. The region’s land is sinking due to permafrost thaw while sea levels continue to rise.
“And because of permafrost thaw, this land is subsiding. So, it’s getting lower when you’re only 10 feet above sea level, having that land sinking, as well as ocean levels rising,” Thoman said. “It’s not a dramatic rise in the southeast Bering Sea, but when you only are talking a few feet above sea level, every inch matters.”…