FAIRBANKS, ALASKA - Communities along Alaska's western coast faced widespread flooding Saturday as a powerful storm - the remnants of Typhoon Merbok - roared across the Bering Sea, with wind gusts tearing the siding off buildings and a storm surge pulling homes from their foundations.
People in the community scrambled to rescue an older adult from his home, and many evacuated to take shelter in the school, which itself was not fully protected. Forecasters said the storm's size and strength made it one of the most powerful systems to move through the Bering Sea area in decades, with waves north of the Aleutian Islands peaking at 50 feet Friday. Many communities experienced wind gusts that were close to hurricane strength.
"We can say that climate change will increase the likelihood that all these ingredients are in place at the same time," he said,"and it's not unreasonable to assume these types of storms will become more frequent."