A flood warning is in effect for Seward and the surrounding areas until Friday.
Yesterday, the National Weather Service in Anchorage issued a flood advisory for the Eastern Kenai Peninsula, including Seward and Moose Pass.
Sustained rainfall is now raising concerns about flooding, but Brenda Ahlberg, Emergency Manager for the borough's Office of Emergency Management, said there are other contributing factors.
“It isn't so much the rain that causes the challenges. Once all the material starts coming down off of those watersheds, that starts impacting those creeks and causing them to rise. And then, they want to come out of their banks and go other places,” she said.
Today, the National Weather Service upgraded the advisory to a warning, citing increased expected impacts. While both designations convey immediate impact, a warning means conditions pose a threat to life or property according to the National Weather Service.
While evacuations are not currently expected or required, an additional three inches of rain is forecasted going into tomorrow. Aviva Braun is the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Anchorage office. She said people should watch and avoid areas with water buildup, including streams, creeks and other low-lying areas.
“Keep your car out of that moving water, keep your feet out of that moving water. It doesn't take that much water to move a person. Just wait it out, and in time it will come down, and we're expecting that to happen by Friday,” Braun said.
Braun said people should remain alert until the warnings have been cleared and the flooding recedes.
“There will be two periods where we will have periods of heavier rainfall. That's going to be this afternoon into late evening, and then we'll have a lull overnight. So I don't want people to think it's over,” Braun said.
Keep your distance from flooded areas, and use caution while traveling over wet roadways. For updates on Seward conditions, visit the Seward Area Flood Response Facebook page.
You can find updated forecasts from the National Weather Service at weather.gov/anchorage.
Tune in to KBBI AM 890 in Homer and Translator K201AO 88.1 FM in Seward for additional emergency alerts and regular updates.
