Ice jams, snowmelt result in catastrophic flooding in Alaska

On Sunday, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration after ice jams and snowmelt led to significant flooding in several communities along the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers this past weekend. A major ice jam on the Yukon River, which originates in the coastal mountains of Canada and flows nearly 2,000 miles northwest into the Bering Sea, has created catastrophic flooding in several riverfront communities. “Ice jams are caused when ice breaks up on the river, begins to flow downstream but then gets ‘stuck’ and acts as a dam. This causes the water in the river to rise, usually quite rapidly, and gives very little notice to the flood threat,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines said. This time of the year is known as the “spring breakup” in Alaska, and while that may sound like the name of a rom-com movie, FEMA officials say it’s no laughing matter, especially if you live in The Last Frontier. In April and May, most of the river ice in Alaska thaws and breaks up into…