Weather service warns of 2- to 4-foot breaking waves on Bering Strait Coast

The National Weather Service in Fairbanks on Saturday added a High Surf Advisory for the Bering Strait Coast, calling for breaking waves of 2 to 4 feet from 10 pm Sunday until 4 am Tuesday.

The surf advisory takes over from a Coastal Flood Advisory in effect until 10 pm Sunday, with water forecast at 4 to 6 feet above the normal high tide line along the coast, including Teller and Brevig Mission.

In Wales, the agency said water that high may push Village Creek over its banks into low-lying areas behind town. Teller and Brevig Mission face minor flooding in their own low-lying areas, and localized beach erosion is possible.

Residents of Wales reported flooding Friday evening, with roads inundated and outlying structures affected, according to the agency's preliminary storm report for Wales. A preliminary storm report for Teller described inundated roads there as well. Alaska News reported Oct. 23 that Friday's storm flooded roads in Hooper Bay, Teller and Wales, with gusts to 71 mph at Wales.

South to southwest winds will keep gusting to 40 mph through the weekend as water levels gradually drop, the weather service said. A High Wind Watch for the Bering Strait Coast calls for possible gusts up to 60 mph from Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon, which the agency said could damage property and cause power outages.

Shishmaref remains under its own Coastal Flood Advisory until 10 pm Sunday, with water forecast at 2 to 4 feet above the normal high tide line. A High Surf Advisory follows there from 10 pm Sunday until 4 am Tuesday, with water expected 1 to 3 feet above that line. The weather service said water levels up to 4 feet in Shishmaref may erode the road to the landfill and push high water into the lagoon.

Shishmaref is also under a Coastal Flood Watch from late Monday night through late Tuesday night, when more significant flooding is possible, with water levels of 3 to 5 feet.

The weather service told residents to allow extra time for travel because some roads may close, to avoid driving around barricades or through water of unknown depth, and to protect flood-prone property.