May 9, 2009: Yukon Destroys Eagle

xoxoxoBruce · 05-09-2009, 01:00 AM

I was perusing the pictures on Wunderground and came across these sad pictures by a guy named AlaskaMark.
He's recorded the aftermath of an ice jam flood destroying the Village of Eagle, Alaska, by the Yukon River in March of this year.
The river rose 34 feet and slammed the village with huge ice floes. It also flooded the City of Eagle just to the west of the village.

Nobody wading in that cold water trying to salvage belongings

The village's only store, only restaurant and most of the other buildings appear to be a total loss.
Alaska, in March, is not someplace you want to be forced out of your home. Hopefully everyone is safe.

There are two sets of pictures, here and here.

TheMercenary · 05-09-2009, 03:16 AM

I just heard about this on NPR today. Those are some pretty stout homes. Maybe they will survive the ride down river and in the summer they can go pick them up and put them back again. I doubt it. Great pics.

SPUCK · 05-09-2009, 05:33 AM

Weird! All that ice and look at the hills no sign of snow or cold at all.

ajaccio · 05-09-2009, 09:08 AM

This breaks my heart. I've been to Eagle and have friends there. It is a beautiful historic community in the Alaskan interior. I hope the town can recoup, but it will be hard work and very expensive...

Shawnee123 · 05-09-2009, 09:14 AM

I wonder if that building in the first pic is the restaurant/store. ajaccio, do you know?
What a charming building.

It's very sad.

Alluvial · 05-09-2009, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Ice-jam floods occur on rivers that are totally or partially frozen. A rise in stream stage will break up a totally frozen river and create ice flows that can pile up on channel obstructions such as shallow riffles, log jams, or bridge piers. The jammed ice creates a dam across the channel over which the water and ice mixture continues to flow, allowing for more jamming to occur. Backwater upstream from the ice dam can rise rapidly and overflow the channel banks. Flooding moves downstream when the ice dam fails, and the water stored behind the dam is released. At this time the flood takes on the characteristics of a flash flood, with the added danger of ice flows that, when driven by the energy of the floodwave, can inflict serious damage on structures. An added danger of being caught in an ice-jam flood is hypothermia, which can quickly kill. Ice jams on the Yukon River in Alaska contributed to severe flooding during the spring breakup of 1992.

From here.

Interesting to note that the previous historic peak of the Yukon at Eagle was in 1937.

Alluvial · 05-09-2009, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

I wonder if that building in the first pic is the restaurant/store. ajaccio, do you know?
What a charming building.

The photos on the Wunderground link have descriptions. The restaurant is a different one, I think.

Shawnee123 · 05-09-2009, 09:41 AM

I couldn't find a description on that photo. I'll look at the others.

edit: Oh, OK, I see it in the second set of photos. Thanks! A private residence then? The deck sliding along the side made me think it looked like a public establishment.

ajaccio · 05-09-2009, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

I wonder if that building in the first pic is the restaurant/store. ajaccio, do you know?
What a charming building.

It's very sad.

Shawnee, I'm not sure either. It's been 10 years since I was there, but I sure remember that little restaurant.

By the way the "City" of Ealge mentioned in the original post is another small town where the residents are all native Alaskans. As far as I know, it's only called a "city" to differentiate it from the Anglo town. We are talking about remote intimate communities here. I saw no pictures of the damage to it, but some of their buildings are close to the waterfront, too.

xoxoxoBruce · 05-09-2009, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUCK

Weird! All that ice and look at the hills no sign of snow or cold at all.

The hills are snow covered, it's just not deeper than the trees are tall. Down along the river it's melted, causing the river to rise.

Shawnee123 · 05-09-2009, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

The hills are snow covered, it's just not deeper than the trees are tall.

Heh, I thought that too Bruce until I saw this photo of Eagle Bluff

Gravdigr · 05-09-2009, 05:51 PM

Damn. One of my life-long fantasies is to motorcycle ride the alaskan highway. A guy here in town built a bike up and rode to Key West, then from Key West, to Prudhoe Bay. Talk about an iron ass...

SPUCK · 05-10-2009, 05:57 AM

And a failed spinal column.

I drove the Alcan.

In October..
Don't go then on a motorcycle.

capnhowdy · 05-10-2009, 09:49 AM

I thought this would be an eagle vs windshield thread. As it is, it is even more sad. What a bitch.

xoxoxoBruce · 05-10-2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUCK

And a failed spinal column.

I drove the Alcan.

In October..
Don't go then on a motorcycle.

At least it's paved now.

05-09-2009, 01:00 AM	#1
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	May 9, 2009: Yukon Destroys Eagle I was perusing the pictures on Wunderground and came across these sad pictures by a guy named AlaskaMark. He's recorded the aftermath of an ice jam flood destroying the Village of Eagle, Alaska, by the Yukon River in March of this year. The river rose 34 feet and slammed the village with huge ice floes. It also flooded the City of Eagle just to the west of the village. Nobody wading in that cold water trying to salvage belongings The village's only store, only restaurant and most of the other buildings appear to be a total loss. Alaska, in March, is not someplace you want to be forced out of your home. Hopefully everyone is safe. There are two sets of pictures, here and here. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

05-09-2009, 03:16 AM	#2
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	I just heard about this on NPR today. Those are some pretty stout homes. Maybe they will survive the ride down river and in the summer they can go pick them up and put them back again. I doubt it. Great pics. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

05-09-2009, 09:08 AM	#4
ajaccio Colloquialist Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 76	Eagle, AK This breaks my heart. I've been to Eagle and have friends there. It is a beautiful historic community in the Alaskan interior. I hope the town can recoup, but it will be hard work and very expensive...

05-09-2009, 09:14 AM	#5
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I wonder if that building in the first pic is the restaurant/store. ajaccio, do you know? What a charming building. It's very sad. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

05-09-2009, 09:41 AM	#8
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I couldn't find a description on that photo. I'll look at the others. edit: Oh, OK, I see it in the second set of photos. Thanks! A private residence then? The deck sliding along the side made me think it looked like a public establishment. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

05-09-2009, 05:33 AM	#3
SPUCK Professor Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,911	Weird! All that ice and look at the hills no sign of snow or cold at all.

05-09-2009, 05:51 PM	#12
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	Damn. One of my life-long fantasies is to motorcycle ride the alaskan highway. A guy here in town built a bike up and rode to Key West, then from Key West, to Prudhoe Bay. Talk about an iron ass... __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

05-10-2009, 05:57 AM	#13
SPUCK Professor Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,911	And a failed spinal column. I drove the Alcan. In October.. Don't go then on a motorcycle.

05-10-2009, 09:49 AM	#14
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	I thought this would be an eagle vs windshield thread. As it is, it is even more sad. What a bitch. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

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