Alaska News

New Map Predicts Tsunami Effects On Alaska City

The state has released a tsunami inundation map for Sitka, Alaska showing the estimated high-water mark in the event of a tsunami. But Sitka Fire Chief Dave Miller said not to take the map as the final word on how …

Governor: Disaster Cited For Alaska Area Hit By Storms

Governor Sean Parnell has declared coastal western Alaska areas ravaged by storms state disaster zones. The governor made the announcement after meeting with residents in the Northwest Arctic Borough, Bering Straits Regional Education Attendance Area, and Lower Yukon. A series …

NAIC: Alaska Implements SBS

Alaska has implemented the State Based Systems, an electronic system owned by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, it was announced on Monday. The purpose of NAIC’s SBS initiative is to provide a comprehensive, internet-based application for state regulators in …

Tsunami Warning Centers in Alaska, Hawaii Open Despite Shutdown

Despite the partial government shutdown, Americans have a full team of scientists tracking every possibility for an earthquake-triggered tsunami. The nation’s two tsunami warning centers remain fully staffed and operating around the clock in Alaska and Hawaii. Stuart Weinstein is …

Wildfires Across The West Push Spending Past $1B

More than 40 uncontained, active and large wildfires dot the western U.S. from Arizona to Washington state and Alaska, taxing national firefighting resources and helping to push spending past $1 billion for the year. The National Interagency Fire Center in …

Earthquake Simulator Shakes Alaskan Complacency

An 8.0 magnitude earthquake sounds like a freight train and feels like the worst-ever air turbulence. Bookshelves tumble. Computers and television sets crash to the floor. It’s a struggle to stay upright. Even a fake one is scary. A mechanical …

President Declares Disaster For Spring Flooding in Alaska

President Barack Obama has declared a federal disaster for spring flooding in parts of Alaska. Gov. Sean Parnell earlier this month requested the federal designation for the Alaska Gateway, Yukon Flats, Yukon Koyukuk, Lower Yukon and Copper River regional educational …

Ex-Alaska Worker Charged With Workers’ Comp Fraud

A former Alaska state employee and his supposed masseuse are accused of worker’s compensation fraud. Scott A. Groom and Laurayne K. Fischer are charged with 93 counts including perjury, theft and falsification of business records. The two are currently living …

Study: Idaho Still Ranks Low For Employee Health Insurance

A new national study shows Idaho is again ranked among states with the lowest percentage of companies that offer workers employer-sponsored health insurance. Idaho ranks 4th nationally – trailing Alaska, Montana and Wyoming – with just 43 percent of the …

Tsunami Preparedness Week in Alaska

Gov. Sean Parnell declared this Tsunami Preparedness Week in Alaska. Parnell, in his proclamation, says Alaska’s vast coastline is home to many communities that are vulnerable to tsunamis. He says the state also falls within one of the most seismically …