One of the worst storms to ever hit Alaska is expected to cause severe beach erosion and major flooding along the state’s western coastline.
The Alaska Dispatch reports that the National Weather Service is warning residents that the storm could turn life threatening and will affect communities that stretch from south to north along the Bering Sea, from Hooper Bay north to Point Hope.
Bob Fischer, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in Alaska, told the news agency that the massive storm is expected to bring hurricane force winds and huge wave surges.
“This is going to be one of the worst storms on record over the Bering Sea,” Fischer warned “Essentially the entire west coast of Alaska is going to see blizzard and winter conditions – heavy snow, poor visibility, high winds.”
Fischer said wind gusts could reach 90 mph in some coastal areas. He said the combination of high water and wind driven seas are creating much of the potential for destruction.
The storm is being compared to a similar one that struck the state in 1974, which caused more than $12 million in damage.
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