River Watch deploys to monitor river breakup and ice jam conditions

River Watch, a partnership between the State of Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) and the National Weather Service Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center (APRFC), comes together each spring to monitor major Alaskan river systems prone to ice jam flooding during spring break up.

Each River Watch Division consists of one DHS&EM Emergency Management Specialist, one APRFC hydrologist, and one local pilot who knows the river. The River Watch teams fly over flood prone areas, monitoring the ice breakup front to evaluate the flood potential so they can provide real-time updates to riverine communities. They often land in communities to brief conditions in person and assist communities with flood preparedness, providing flood alerts, watches, and warnings. If flooding occurs, Emergency Management Specialist from the River Watch team are to the scene to assist impacted communities in their response.

“For more than 40 years the River Watch program has provided early alert and warning to communities along Alaska’s ice jam prone rivers. We provide people with the most current forecast information and are on hand to help them when it does flood,” said Director Bryan Fisher, DHS&EM. “The River Watch program succeeds because we are talking to and helping communities before, during, and after a flood event.”

The Kuskokwim and Upper Yukon River Watch Divisions will deploy on Monday April 29 and will fly the major river systems until the breakup flooding risk has passed.

Subsequent River Watch Divisions will visit the Middle Yukon, Lower Yukon, and Lower Kuskokwim sections of the river. These River Watch divisions will launch when ice movement and water flow indicate ice jam flooding could occur and divisions can cover areas beyond the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers, such as the Tanana, Kobuk, Buckland, Porcupine, as required.

Find the APRFC 2024 Spring Breakup Outlook for Alaska at: http://www.weather.gov/…/Breakup…/ESFAK_ACR_20240419.pdf

Find emergency preparedness Information at www.ready.alaska.gov