Event narrative (NOAA)
A strong cold front with sub-tropical moisture moved into the eastern gulf and moved over the coastal areas of Southeast Alaska. As the front approached the coastal area of Sitka very high rain rates were being reported across the area in the early morning hours which lasted less than 6 hours. In three hours the Sitka airport reported one point seven inches which was a 25 year rainfall intensity return period. The Sitka Magnetic Observatory Climate Reference Station (CRN), which is closer to steep terrain, reported two point zero one inches was a 45 year rainfall intensity return period. Along with the very high rain rates there was also very strong winds of thirty-three mile per hour with much high wind gusts at higher elevations. The combination of the heavy rain and strong winds caused
Other notable debris flow events in Alaska
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.