Sitka City and Borough, Alaska severe weather history spans 19 recorded events between 2008 and 2023. The dominant hazard is flood, accounting for 78.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,155 nationally and #1 in Alaska.
19
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$13.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Sitka City and Borough, Alaska severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sitka City and Borough, Alaska severe weather history averages 1.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 7 events logged in that decade alone.
The costliest is flood, with $13.0M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sitka City and Borough
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $13.0M | 0 | 2009–2023 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | 52 | 2023–2023 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2015–2015 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Sitka City and Borough, Alaska severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain and snowmelt in the Birch Creek headwaters caused Birch Creek to flow overbank and flood portions of the Steese Highway between milepost 145 to 147. The flooding caused the highway to be closed for a period of time due to dangerous driving conditions. Birch Creek fell back within bank on June 2nd.
Heavy rain on snow caused Crooked Creek in Central to rise overbank and flood portions of the community. The public reported flood waters up to the doors of the Central Museum, into the parking lot of the local store, and up to 6 inches deep over the Steese Highway in Central. Residents put sandbags around the Central Museum but water still seeped in through the back door and got the carpet and floor wet. Floodwaters crested Thursday afternoon May 31st and flooding ended by Friday morning Jun 1st.
Heavy rain on snow caused Crooked Creek in Central to rise overbank and flood portions of the community. The public reported flood waters up to the doors of the Central Museum, into the parking lot of the local store, and up to 6 inches deep over the Steese Highway in Central. Residents put sandbags around the Central Museum but water still seeped in through the back door and got the carpet and floor wet. Floodwaters crested Thursday afternoon May 31st and flooding ended by Friday morning Jun 1st.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,368
Population (ACS)
$450K
Median home value
2
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sitka City and Borough, Alaska?
19 events are on record between 2008 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths and $13.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sitka City and Borough?
Flood, with 15 recorded events — 78.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sitka City and Borough?
2 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sitka City and Borough, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sitka City and Borough compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sitka City and Borough as very low risk, placing it in the 24 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sitka City and Borough, Alaska severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Skagway Municipality 0
- Southeast Fairbanks Census Area 0
- Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area 0
- Petersburg Borough 0
- Northwest Arctic Borough 0
- North Slope Borough 2
Cite this page
“Sitka City and Borough, Alaska.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/alaska/sitka-city-and-borough/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.