Alaska Severe Flood Watch | Effective 10/15/2026 10:16

A stronger atmospheric river continues to move over the panhandle Thursday, lasting through Friday morning. Multiple waves moving up will bring persistent moderate to heavy rain for much of the southern half of the panhandle, with the heaviest rain expected late morning through the evening hours Thursday. Elevated gusty winds are expected alongside this heavier rainfall, with the strongest winds expected Thursday night. Prolonged periods of moderate to heavy rain will produce significant river rises with the potential for at least minor flooding. Gusty winds alongside the long duration heavy rainfall will bring a possibility of isolated landslides. * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...The following area, Southern Inner Channels. This includes the cities of Ketchikan And Metlakatla. * WHEN...From 1 PM AKDT this afternoon through Friday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, other low-lying areas and flood-prone locations. Street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers are possible. Isolated landslides are possible in areas of steep terrain. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Rain totals between early Thursday morning and late Friday morning for the Ketchikan and Metlakatla area are still expected to be around 4 to 6 inches, with higher rain totals favoring southern facing mountain sides. Highest rain rates are currently expected during the late morning through evening timeframe on Thursday, where rates could exceed 0.3 inches per hour. Confidence has increased for the area seeing winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 55 mph on Thursday at sea level, and exceeding 60 mph at elevation, with the highest winds expected Thursday evening into the night. With the multiple rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall and the elevated winds Thursday, there is possibility for isolated landslides along steep mountain slopes.