Alaskan Storm Surge

Earlier in November of this year a storm riped up the Alaskan coast line. The storm brought sustained wind speeds of 60 mph and gusts of 89 mph. The storm surge on the Chukchi Coast was 6 feet high. Storms of this magnitude are rare in Alaska and it couldn't have come at worse time. In recent years Alaska has been hit hard by global warming affects because it is so far north and is rapidly warming much faster than the rest of the world. Because of this, the sea ice that is usually a buffer between the coast of Alaska and many Bering Sea storms is taking longer to form in the fall, which means its not there when the fall storms set in.

A small village called Shishmaref lies on a barrier Island off the coast and, like the rest of the state, has experienced severe erosion in recent years from higher ocean tides and stronger storms. These effects are appropriately traced back to global warming. The problem the Shishmaref people are facing is an inevitable one, their village is so flat and small, the highest point lies only 10 miles above sea level. If storms like this are to increase in frequency their village will disappear. They are currently raising funds to move their residents from the place they've lived for 4,000 years. Some residents are so angered and frustrated by the issues they are facing have filed a law suit against ExxonMobil and other corporations that have been blamed for polluting the atmosphere and thus accelerating global warming.




http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/dangerous-storm-threatens-coastal-villages-of-alaska/
http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/alaska-storm-slamming-already-vulnerable-communities/