The City of Seward is under a flood watch and a high wind watch as of Thursday morning, according to a Thursday weather alert from the National Weather Service.
The flood watch is in effect for Seward and Bear Creek through Sunday afternoon. Between 7 and 10 inches of rain are expected to fall during that time.
The heaviest rain is expected from Thursday evening through Friday afternoon, Saturday morning through Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. The National Weather Service warns that this will lead to sharp rises in local rivers and creeks, specifically the Resurrection River, which is forecast to exceed flood stage. Flooding of the Resurrection River would likely lead to flooding of the Seward Airport runway.
The National Weather Service reported in the flood watch that the series of storms look similar to an October 2018 event that dropped 7 inches of rain over three days in the area and prompted Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce to declare a state of emergency.
The high wind watch is in effect for the Eastern Turnagain Arm and through the Portage Valley, where high winds of between 45 and 65 miles per hour with gusts reaching 80 miles per hour are possible from late Thursday night through Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service warns that high winds could move loose debris, damage property or cause power outages. Travel could be difficult, especially for “high profile” vehicles.
Loose objects should be fastened or sheltered in a safe location in order to prevent damages to property.
A special weather statement was issued early Thursday morning for the Kenai River as well, indicating that the heavy rains expected on the eastern peninsula could lead to minor flood conditions along the river around Cooper Landing and the Kenai Keys area by Sunday. Those flood conditions could last a couple of days. People near the Kenai River are urged to take precautions.
Reach reporter Brian Mazurek at bmazurek@peninsulaclarion.com.
