List of Alaska tropical cyclones

The U.S. state of Alaska has been affected by several tropical cyclones. Due to the state's high northern latitude, tropical cyclones influence Alaska as remnant extratropical cyclones and their impacts are mostly limited to heavy rain, strong winds, and localized flooding. Most tropical cyclones that impact Alaska originate from typhoons that form in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Several significant typhoon remnants have impacted Alaska. In 1967, the remnants of Tropical Storm Hope contributed to the worst flooding in the history of Fairbanks. The remnants of Typhoon Merbok in 2022 became the most intense storm to impact Western Alaska in the month of September in over 70 years. In 2025, the remnants of Typhoon Halong caused several fatalities and brought record-breaking flooding to several coastal villages.

Climatology and effects

Alaska is a large landmass on the North American continent and the northernmost state of the United States, reaching into the Arctic Circle. It is surrounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, Bering Sea to the west, the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Alaska to the south, and Canada to the west.[1]: 5  The extratropical remnants of Pacific typhoons are known to impact Alaska, primarily in the summer and fall months.[2][3]: 304  Decreasing sea surface temperatures in the far Northern Pacific Ocean necessary for continued tropical cyclogenesis cause tropical cyclones to weaken as they move poleward. Approximately 50% of typhoons undergo an extratropical transition, characterized by the decrease in core convection as the storm moves over waters less than 79 °F (26 °C). During the extratropical transition, a low-pressure trough may influence the storm to undergo explosive cyclogenesis.[4] The low-pressure Aleutian Low, located over the Aleutian Islands, and high-pressure North Pacific High, located to the south of Alaska, can steer cyclones over Alaska and cause intensification of storms.[1]: 6  Since 1970, more than 60 ex-typhoons have made landfall in the state, with most hitting the Western coast.[5]

The remnants of tropical cyclones are capable of increasing the intensity of already existing storms in the state.[6]: 3544  In the past, extratropical cyclones have brought heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding to portions of Alaska. In coastal areas, storm surge has also been observed.[7] In low-lying areas near river deltas, the effects of tropical cyclones can be amplified due to the flatness of the terrain.[8] Native Alaskan communities, often located in isolated parts of the state, are disproportionately impacted by tropical cyclone remnants.[9] The lack of road transportation, hazardous weather, and distance from other population centers make recovery efforts more difficult in such communities.[2][8] Due the impacts of climate change and the effects it has on northern regions, tropical cyclone remnants are predicted to be more intense and their effects may become more severe.[10]

List of storms

  • August 12–20, 1967: An extratropical cyclone in the Bering Sea related to the remnants of Tropical Storm Hope resulted in increased moisture influx over Central Alaska, which contributed to devastating floods in Fairbanks.[11]: 11,17  The peak discharge floods exceeded 74,000 cu ft/s (2,100 m3/s) in the Chena River. Total damage exceeded $85 million (1967 USD) and six people were killed.[11]: 1 
  • September 5, 1975: An unnamed hurricane became an extratropical cyclone in the Gulf of Alaska, with the remnants moving inland over British Columbia.[12][13]
  • October 25, 1977: Tropical Storm Harriet (Saling) passed north into the Bering Sea[14] and broke the then-record for most powerful storm in the north Pacific at 926 mb.[15] Two homes were blown off of their foundations in Atka,[14] while Adak experienced a 12-hour period of 110 mph or greater gusts.[15]
  • July 31, 1978: The remnants of Hurricane Fico, embedded into a cold front, caused ships to the southeast of Cold Bay to experience heavy rains and 45 mph (72 km/h) winds.[16]
  • September 30, 1991: The remnants of Typhoon Mireille passed over the Aleutian Islands.[17] Wind gusts of up to 70 mph (110 km/h) were observed in Amchitka.[18]
  • December 9, 1991: The extratropical remnants of Tropical Storm Zelda brought high winds and precipitation across Alaska. In Cold Bay, gusts increased to 45 mph (72 km/h). Bethel and the Pribilof Islands received heavy snow and low visibility. Southcentral Alaska experienced light snowfall and the places in the Alaskan Panhandle received two inches of rain.[19][20]
  • September 10, 1994: The remnants of Hurricane John passed over Dutch Harbor. The storm brought high temperatures reaching 66 °F (19 °C) and wind gusts of 46 mph (74 km/h).[21]
  • October 2004: The remnants of Typhoon Ma-on reached a minimum pressure of 941 mb, brought high storm surges to the Alaskan coast.[22]
  • September 8–12, 2006: Hurricane Ioke entered the Bering Sea as an extratropical cyclone. In the Aleutian Islands, gusts exceeding 80 mph (130 km/h) were observed in Unalaska and Adak. Wave heights off the coast of the islands reached above 30 ft (9.1 m). On the Alaskan mainland, Ioke caused flooding and heavy rainfall, especially in coastal areas. Bethel received 1.15 in (2.9 cm) of rain. Ioke caused flooding along Bristol Bay and the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta. The storm caused total of $113,000 (2015 USD) in damage.[23]
  • September 2006: The passage of ex-typhoons Shanshan and Yagi resulted in significant rain and winds across Alaska.[24]
  • October 12–13, 2014: A low-pressure system associated with the remnants of Typhoon Phanfone caused strong gusts of up to 74 mph (119 km/h) at King Cove.[17][25]
  • November 8, 2014: The extratropical remnants of Typhoon Nuri got absorbed into another extratropical cyclone in the Bering Sea. The interaction between the two systems caused the new system to be the most intense extratropical cyclone over the Bering Sea, with an estimated pressure of 924 mbar (27.3 inHg) by the Ocean Prediction Center.[26][27][a] Winds of up to 96 mph (154 km/h) were recorded at Eareckson Air Station on Shemya. Only minimal damage was recorded at the station, and there were no reports of injuries or other damage from the storm.[29]
  • October 10, 2015: The gale-force remnants of Hurricane Oho moved inland near Ice Bay.[30] Upwards of 7 in (18 cm) of rain were observed in Ketchikan.[31] Wind speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h) occurred in Stika, with gusts reaching 62 mph (100 km/h).[32]
  • August 12, 2018: The remnants of Typhoon Shanshan resulted in strong winds and heavy rainfall across Southcentral Alaska. In Anchorage, 150 homes lost power following strong winds. Gusts of 75 mph (121 km/h) were measured in McHugh Creek.[33]
  • September 15–18, 2022: The remnants of Typhoon Merbok became the strongest extratropical cyclone to impact Western Alaska in September in over 70 years.[9] Merbok resulted in wave heights of over 50 ft (15 m) in the Bering Sea.[2] Hurricane-force winds and widespread flooding were observed along the Alaskan coastline. Forty primarily Alaskan Native communities were impacted by the storm.[9] In Shaktoolik, the seawall berm protecting the village from ocean waves was destroyed. In Nome, streets were flooded and at least one home was swept off its foundation.[34] Multiple homes detached from their foundations amid flooding in Golovin and Newtok. The water levels in the town reached 10.3 ft (3.1 m), the highest since 1974. Despite the destruction, no injuries or deaths were reported.[2][34]
  • October 17, 2023: Typhoon Bolaven brought heavy rainfall to Southeast Alaska. Ketchikan received 6.69 in (17.0 cm) of rain on October 17, a record for that day in the town.[35]
  • August 21, 2024: The remnants of Typhoon Ampil passed over the Russian Far East and Northern Alaska. Areas in Western Alaska received strong winds and high coastal waves.[36]
  • October 11–13, 2025: Typhoon Halong impacted Western Alaska as a powerful extratropical cyclone. Strong storm surge flooded communities up the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta up to 60 mi (97 km) inland.[8] Flood and hurricane-force were observed along the coast.[37] Forty-nine communities were impacted by the storm, with the most severe impacts being in Kipnuk and Kwigillingok.[7] In Kipnuk, 121 houses were destroyed as the water height reached 6 ft (1.8 m) above normal levels. In Kwigillingok, the United States Coast Guard rescued twenty-four people that were inside homes being swept away by floodwaters. At least one person was killed and two others were left missing.[38]

Other tropical-like systems

  • March 7–9, 1977: A cyclone developed over the Western Bering Sea and began moving westward. The center of the storm passed over St. Paul Island, where a weather station measured a pressure of 970 mbar (29 inHg). The storm continued eastward until it made landfall at Cape Newenham on March 9 with winds in excess of 67 mph (108 km/h) and dissipated shortly after. Throughout the storm's life, it exhibited an eye, an unusually symmetrical cloud banding, and a thermodynamic structure similar to a tropical cyclone.[39]: 2293–2294, 2301 

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Japan Meteorological Agency estimated a pressure of 920 mbar (27 inHg).[28]

References

  1. ^ a b Sanja Perica; Douglas Kane; Sarah Dietz; Kazungu Maitaria; Deborah Martin; Sandra Pavlovic; Ishani Roy; Svetlana Stuefer; Amy Tidwell; Carl Trypaluk; Dale Unruh; Michael Yekta; Erica Betts; Geoffrey Bonnin; Sarah Heim; Lillian Hiner; Elizabeth Lilly; Jayashree Narayanan; Fenglin Yan; Tan Zhao (2012). "Precipitation-Frequency Atlas of the United States". NOAA Instiutional Repository. 7. Silver Spring, Maryland: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Thoman, Rick (September 19, 2022). "Typhoon Merbok, fueled by unusually warm Pacific Ocean, pounded Alaska's vulnerable coastal communities at a critical time". The Conversation. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  3. ^ Mesquita, Micheld S.; Atkinson, David E.; Hodges, Kevin I. (January 15, 2010). "Characteristics and Variability of Storm Tracks in the North Pacific, Bering Sea, and Alaska" (PDF). American Meteorological Society. 23 (2): 294–311. doi:10.1175/2009JCLI3019.1. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  4. ^ Arnott, Justin (December 2005). "Typhoons in Alaska? | Extratropical Transition and its Implications for Northern Alaska" (PDF). National Weather Service Fairbanks, Alaska. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  5. ^ Smiley, Sage (November 15, 2025). "What we know about recovery, a month after ex-Typhoon Halong". KYUK. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  6. ^ Poujol, Basile; Prein, Andreas F.; Andrew J., Newman (September 26, 2020). "Kilometer-scale modeling projects a tripling of Alaskan convective storms in future climate". Climate Dynamics. 55: 3543–3564. doi:10.1007/s00382-020-05466-1. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Henson, Bob; Masters, Jeff (October 15, 2025). "Alaska Native communities reeling in wake of Typhoon Halong's remnants". Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c Thoman, Rick (October 14, 2025). "Typhoon leaves flooded Alaska villages facing a storm recovery far tougher than most Americans will ever experience". The Conversation. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "A Storm is Brewing: Climate Change and Coastal Storms in Western Alaska". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  10. ^ Rosen, Yereth (October 17, 2025). "Typhoon disaster in Western Alaska raises questions around the region's future". Alaska Beacon. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Childers, J. M.; Meckel, J. P.; Anderson, G. S. (October 13, 1972). Flood of August 1967 in East-Central Alaska (PDF). United States Geological Survey (Report). Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  12. ^ National Hurricane Center; Hurricane Research Division; Central Pacific Hurricane Center (April 26, 2024). "The Northeast and North Central Pacific hurricane database 1949–2023". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. A guide on how to read the database is available here. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. ^ Cochran, Donald R. (June 1, 1976). "Unusual Tropical Development from a Mid-Pacific Cold Low". Monthly Weather Review. 104 (6). American Meteorological Society: 804–808. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1976)104<0804:UTDFAM>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
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  16. ^ Shaw, Samuel (1981). Central Pacific Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Cyclones 1978 (PDF) (Report). Central Pacific Hurricane Center. p. 3. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  17. ^ a b "RSMC Best Track Data (Text)" (TXT). Japan Meteorological Agency.
  18. ^ "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena with Late Reports and Corrections" (PDF). Storm Data. 33 (9): 55. September 1991. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2015.
  19. ^ "Alaska Summary". Daily Sitka Sentinel. Sitka, Alaska. December 9, 1991. p. 2. Retrieved November 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Weather". Whitehorse Daily Star. Whitehorse, Yukon. December 9, 1991. p. 4. Retrieved November 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "A Composite of Outstanding Storms" (PDF). Storm Data. 36 (9): 60. September 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  22. ^ "Alaska Event Report: High Wind". National Climatic Data Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2005. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
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  24. ^ McKim, Scott (October 2006). "Extratropical Storms in Alaska" (PDF). National Weather Service Alaska - Pacific River Forecast Center. p. 5. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
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  26. ^ Lada, Brian (November 12, 2014). "Monster Storm Becomes Strongest on Record for Alaska". AccuWeather. Retrieved November 10, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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  28. ^ "Marine Weather Warning for GMDSS Metarea XI 2014-11-08T06:00:00Z". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  29. ^ Kelly, Devin (November 8, 2014). "Weather service: No damage reported in Bering Sea storm". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  30. ^ Houston, Sam; Wroe, Derek (November 21, 2016). Central Pacific Hurricane Center Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Oho (CP072015) (PDF) (Report). Central Pacific Hurricane Center. p. 3. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
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  33. ^ DeMarban, Alex (August 12, 2018). "Winds, rain spawned by former typhoon cause power outages, flooding concern in Southcentral". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
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  35. ^ Denning, Angela (October 19, 2023). "Ketchikan breaks a daily record with nearly 7 inches of rain". KRBD. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
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  37. ^ Smiley, Sage (October 17, 2025). "What we know about the devastating storm in Western Alaska". NPR. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
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  39. ^ Businger, Steven; Baik, Jong-Jin (September 1, 1991). "An Arctic Hurricane over the Bering Sea". Monthly Weather Review. 119 (9). American Meteorological Society: 2293–2322. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1991)119<2293:AAHOTB>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved November 10, 2025.