Clouds are gathering: What's happening in Alaska right now

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet on August 15 in Alaska to discuss the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The White House confirmed that it will be held in Anchorage, the largest city on the peninsula. According to CNN, the Joint Military Base Elmendorf-Richardson will be a possible location. Meanwhile, on the eve of the historic event, the natural situation on the peninsula remains unsettled. About what natural disasters are happening in Alaska right now — in the material of Izvestia.

Flooding in Alaska

Flooding is beginning in the capital of Alaska, the city of Juneau, the Alaska Beacon portal reports. It is caused by the annual melting of the Mendenhall Glacier. The peak is expected to occur on Wednesday, August 13.

Juneau is located in the southeastern part of the state near the Mendenhall Glacier, which is about 20 km long. Anchorage is located 1,350 km from the capital, in the south-central part of the state and on the shores of Cook Bay.

Earlier, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said that flooding threatens people's safety. According to him, the main goal is to act in advance to minimize the consequences and ensure the safety of the population. Therefore, the state authorities are calling for the evacuation of Americans who live near the glacier.

According to experts, this year's flood could cause record damage, and the water level could rise to 5 meters. In 2024, floods damaged more than 290 homes.

Local authorities have set up temporary barriers in advance, which, however, have still been tested in real conditions. Permanent flood barriers can only be built in a few years.

Residents have been expecting floods for several months, writes Alaska Beacon. Since 2011, the melting of the Mendenhall Glacier has been causing them annually and with increasing intensity. For example, in 2023, as a result of a cataclysm, the banks of the Mendenhall River were washed away, which led to the collapse of houses.

Ash cloud overtakes Alaska

Besides the flood, trouble came from the sky. An ash cloud from the Klyuchevsky volcano from Kamchatka has reached Alaska, the Alaska Public Media portal reports. It will cover the region for at least 18 hours, the local Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) predicted.

Volcanic ash has already disrupted air traffic: Alaska Airlines canceled flights on the peninsula to the cities of Nome and Kotzebue and Utkiagvik for safety reasons. The airline said it would continue to monitor the cloud, but planned to restore flights as early as Wednesday.

Weather in Alaska on August 15th

The weather will be favorable on the day of the meeting of the Russian and American leaders in Anchorage. Alexander Shuvalov, head of the Meteo forecasting center, told RT about this.

"On August 15, the weather in the city of Anchorage in Alaska will be formed under the influence of the cyclone trough, which is located in the Pacific Ocean," the forecaster said.

According to him, everything will be fine with cloudy weather with a high enough temperature for this time of the year. So, +15...+18 °C is expected in the afternoon. The wind is mainly from the north with a speed of 5-10 m/s.