‘Flood watch’ downgraded to ‘flood advisory’

SUSITNA VALLEY — The National Weather Service in Anchorage downgraded a “flood watch” it issued Wednesday afternoon to a “flood advisory” just before noon, Thursday.

In Anchorage Wednesday enough rain fell to shatter a daily rainfall record set in 1979, at 0.56. The new record is 0.78 inches.

Waterways are high in the Mat-Su Borough, but so far, still below the flood stage.

Mat-Su Borough Emergency Manager Casey Cook said the borough is keeping an eye on water levels though.

“We’re not in any active ‘flood watching’ or ‘flood action’ stages but, in Butte and Talkeetna both, the water seems to be rising and they’re predicting it will be up in the ‘action stage,’” Cook said Wednesday.

As forecast by river watchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Talkeetna River at the railroad bridge reached the action stage around 9 a.m., Thursday.

The “action stage” means there is no flooding yet, but residents should be aware of the rising water and be prepared to evacuate, if need be.

Rain is expected to continue Thursday and Friday before tapering off to scattered showers for the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Thus far, other waterways in the borough are high but are still within their banks, according to in stream flow monitors.

Butte and Talkeetna are the two communities in the Valley most often impacted by flooding in recent years. The borough is working on a program to address chronic flooding and erosion in Butte and to fix flood protection in the Talkeetna area.

People who encounter flooding activity are asked to help document the flooding by taking photos and sending them, along with the address where they were taken, to PermitCenter@matsugov.us.