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The Conversation
The Conversation
Environment
Rick Thoman, Alaska Climate Specialist, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Typhoon Merbok, fueled by unusually warm Pacific Ocean, pounded Alaska's vulnerable coastal communities at a critical time

A satellite image shows how vast the remnants of Typhoon Merbok were as the storm hit the Alaska coast. National Weather Service

The powerful remnants of Typhoon Merbok pounded Alaska’s western coast on Sept. 17, 2022, pushing homes off their foundations and tearing apart protective berms as water flooded communities.

Storms aren’t unusual here, but Merbok built up over unusually warm water. Its waves reached 50 feet over the Bering Sea, and its storm surge sent water levels into communities at near record highs along with near hurricane-force winds.

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