Western Alaska breakup flooding inundates Kuskokwim River communities

Water from the Kuskokwim River floods Bethel's Alligator Acres neighborhood the morning of Thursday, May 9.

The ice jam and snowmelt-related flooding prompted Gov. Mike Dunleavy to issue a state disaster declaration for communities along the Lower Kuskokwim on Friday that state officials say will help reimburse communities for emergency protective costs and open up financial assistance to individuals. City officials on Friday were monitoring water and sewer lines for any damage from high water, Strickland said. Officials had not set up an emergency shelter, but they asked residents to check with friends and family if they felt they needed to leave their homes.A resident of Bethel's Alligator Acres neighborhood launches a canoe amid unusually severe breakup flooding on Thursday, May 9.

A water pump damaged by ice earlier in the week was repaired by Friday, Nicori said. Bottled water was flown into the village, according to Jeremy Zidek, a spokesman for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Significant amounts of snow and ice on the river this year contributed to the higher waters and flooding, said Zidek.

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