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In Alaska, the day-brightening phenomenon of metamorphosis fromfrozen, moon-like ice and snowscapes into vast vistas oflight-green growth and free-flowing rivers teeming with salmon hasits hazards. When ice fractures, snow melts and moving water shovesall of it downstream in an often hurried push, things can go badlyfor the villages in its path. But this year, Mother Nature has beendecidedly less destructive to Alaskans who live their lives at theedge of these powerful lifelines that carve a path across much ofthe state as they flow westward to the Bering Sea. Breakup on the Kuskokwim River is essentially over, according tothe state's emergency coordination center and its spokesman, JeremyZidek. Two communities -- Kwethluk and Napaskiak -- did recentlyexperience flooding and voluntarily relocated elderly and medicalpatients, but the threat has subsided and no mandatory evacuationswere ordered. As chunks of melting ice travel the river, the flowof these icy blocks can at times jam up -- forcing water to riseabove the jam and sending overflow into local communities. This iswhat happened in Kwethluk and Napakiak. Meanwhile, breakup on the Kuskokwim's sister river to the North,the mighty Yukon, is also fizzling, although it's not yet done --an important point. Emergency coordinators are quick to point outthat rivers will do what the rivers will do, and the threat offlooding is never truly over until all the ice is gone. Because ofan ice jam, the Alaska River Watch system, staffed with pilots,ground observers and forecasters, has flood watches in place forthe Yukon River communities of Russian Mission and Marshall, and inthe lower Yukon valley villages of Grayling, Holy Cross, Shageluk,Anvik and Flat. A warning -- which is not in place -- would mean a flood is comingand villagers need to prepare to react. A watch -- which is inplace -- means a flood may come, and villagers should start talkingand planning for what they will do if the water shows up. Until the ice jam between Marshall and Pilot Station loosens, wateris expected to rise, causing minor flooding. No homes or buildingsare expected to flood, according to forecasters. River Watch is scheduled to stand down on Friday, May 25, but itwill maintain or reactivate personnel if breakup isn't over by thenor if any communities are in real or potential distress.Forecasters have said the state's cooler-than-average temperaturesthroughout April and much of May helped slow the pace of the melt,which helped keep the volume of water in the rivers lower than if aquick warm-up had occurred. Contact Jill Burke at jill(at)alaskadispatch.com. I am an expert from ophthalmology-instrument.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Optometry Instruments , China Adjustable Hospital Beds, Stainless Steel Surgical Instruments,and more.
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