Apr 30, 2020
An unusually high amount of snowfall, combined with an anamolously cold April set the precedent conditions for an impactful break up season. Ice was thicker across the rivers than it had been for several years. A rapid warm up across Interior Alaska caused upstream snow melting, leading to ice jams and widespread flooding along the lower Kuskokwim River.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 890564). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Lower Kuskokwim Valley County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.