... Public information statement...

A rapidly developing storm located about 600 miles southwest
of Shemya this afternoon will intensify into one of the
most severe Bering Sea storms on record as it moves northward
across the chukotsk peninsula Tuesday night. This storm
has the potential to produce widespread damage.

The storm will produce widespread winds of 40 to 55 mph
with higher gusts over the West Coast Tuesday night into
Wednesday evening. Strong west winds are expected to continue
over St Lawrence Island Wednesday night. Gusts to 70 mph can be
expected along the chukotsk peninsula and in areas near Kotzebue.
Winds of 60 to 75 mph are expected over St Lawrence Island and
the Bering Strait coast. Winds are expected to approach hurricane
force over the Chukchi Sea and northern Bering Sea. The strong
winds will generate seas to as high as 20 feet over the Chukchi
Sea... and to 15 to 25 feet over the northern Bering Sea.

The strong winds will push large amounts of water into Norton
Sound... raising sea levels to as high as 8 to 9 feet above normal
Tuesday night through Wednesday night. The high sea levels
combined with high waves will produce severe beach erosion and
major coastal flooding along the northern and Eastern Shores of
Norton Sound and along the Bering Strait coast. High water
levels will produce coastal flooding along the southern
shore of Norton Sound. Strong winds and wave action may push
ice in Norton Bay on shore.

Moderately elevated sea levels and high waves will cause
severe beach erosion and major coastal flooding along the
south and west facing coasts of St Lawrence Island Tuesday
through Wednesday night.

Along the Chukchi Sea coast from Cape Krusenstern northwest...
southeast winds gusting to a high as 70 mph will produce high
waves and some elevation of sea levels... resulting in severe
beach erosion and major coastal flooding. The Village of
Kivalina will be highly vulnerable to damage caused by
beach erosion and coastal flooding.

The storm will also produce significant snowfall and blizzard
conditions over almost all of the West Coast Tuesday night
and Wednesday. Snowfall amounts of as much as 14 inches
are expected along the southern Seward Peninsula coast and
in parts of the interior Seward Peninsula.

Again... this is an extremely dangerous and life threatening
storm which will be one of the worst on record over the Bering
Sea and the West Coast.