Residents of the Northwest Arctic village of Kobuk say ongoing flooding is making it hard to get to work, to the grocery store and even to vote.
Weeks of rain have caused the Kobuk River and nearby lake to overflow, flooding the community of around 200 people about 150 miles east of Kotzebue. Climatologist Rick Thoman said in an email that almost 20 inches of rain has fallen over in the last seven weeks, which is three-to-four times the average rainfall. Many residents have moved valuables like snow machines and four wheelers to higher ground, and some have been using boats to travel around town.
“I think that if it continues to rain for like, another day or two, the whole town is definitely going to be underwater,” said Kobuk resident Kyra McKay.
McKay, who works for the village’s tribe, said the high water means she can’t do routine business like cashing checks. She said villagers are using boats to check on elders and to help each other get to work, school, and the store.
A representative from the village’s clinic said they’ve been using the clinic boat to pick up residents who can’t make it to health checkups. McKay also said many Kobuk residents were unable to vote in the primary election. That’s because the two roads that connect to the polling station in town were about three feet underwater.
“A lot of people are stuck. Those people are just unable to come down here,” McKay said.
Kobuk Mayor Alex Sheldon said he's spent the last weeks putting firewood in a dry place in his home and working on projects around his house. Sheldon said he didn’t know there was an election because he hasn’t left his home.
Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher said in an email that the Kobuk precinct closed at around 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 20 due to safety concerns related to flooding. But Beecher said that a “significant number” of Kobuk residents were still able to vote.
As of Wednesday at 1 p.m., the Kobuk precinct had not reported the number of voters. Sixteen Kobuk voters participated in the primary election two years ago.
Beecher said that any Kobuk voters who did not already submit absentee ballots or make it to the polls before it closed won’t be able to cast votes in the primary.
Kobuk joins other communities in Northern Alaska that were unable to fully participate in the primary election. The Alaska Beacon reports that Wales and Kaktovik did not open their precincts after poll workers did not respond to the Division of Elections.
