Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
City and Borough storm and disaster record · FIPS 02220 · population 8,434 · 2,870 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 824 records for Sitka City and Borough, Alaska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 591 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (489 records). 805 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the March 18, 1999 ice storm, filed for the forecast zone Pribilof Islands, which covers the county: 5 deaths. FEMA has issued 2 declarations naming the county since 2020, 0 of them for natural hazards.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 824on 591 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 50 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 2latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Sitka City and Borough most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 489 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Alaska's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 489 | 368 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 3 of 29 |
| Winter storms | 281 | 196 | 1996-2024 | 5 | 0 | $49K | 5 of 29 |
| Floods | 19 | 16 | 2002-2023 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 1 of 29 |
| Heat | 14 | 11 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 12 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 0 | $13K | 10 of 29 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 29 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Sitka City and Borough?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 20, 2013 flood ($380,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
On the 20th a surge of water and ice from the upstream river ice breakup moved to near Fort Yukon causing flooding of low-lying areas. A large sheet of ice became stuck 12 miles upstream of Fort Yukon causing widespread flooding of low-lying areas to persist. This affected the ball field, the old tank farm, the area surrounding the tribal hall, several homes, and one of several access roads to the airport. Around midnight on the 21st, the ice jam partially released though river levels did not rise significantly in town as a result. Later on the 22nd river levels began to slowly fall and by the morning of the 23rd levels were below flood stage. Damage amounts are estimated, and include repairs to 4 homes with major damage and 1 home with minor damage, along with affected roads, buildings and emergency response needs.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 455500)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-13 | High WindSitka City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Sitka | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-09 | High WindSitka City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Sitka | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-26 | High WindSitka City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Sitka | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-22 | High WindSitka City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Sitka | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-17 | High WindSitka City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Sitka | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-05-20 | FloodFt Yukon, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $380K | |
| 2013-05-19 | FloodCircle, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2010-10-12 | High WindSitka City and Borough · forecast zone Cape Decision To Salisbury Sound Coastal Area | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $541K |
| 2009-05-09 | FloodStevens Village, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $9.9M | |
| 2009-05-07 | FloodFt Yukon, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2009-05-06 | FloodChalkyitsik, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $984K | |
| 2009-05-06 | FloodCircle, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-03-18 | Ice StormHoonah-Angoon Census Area and Sitka City and Borough · forecast zone Pribilof Islands An extremely intense storm moved up toward the extreme Western Aleutians late Tuesday continuing to just south of Adak as a 946mb center 9pm Wednesday. The low began an eastward turn while starting to very slowly weaken during the next 24 hours...moving to 180 miles south of Cold Bay as a 959mb center at 9 pm ... | 5 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-05-09 | FloodStevens Village, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $9.9M | |
| 2009-05-07 | FloodFt Yukon, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2009-05-06 | FloodCircle, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2013-05-19 | FloodCircle, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2009-05-06 | FloodChalkyitsik, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $984K | |
| 2010-10-12 | High WindSitka City and Borough · forecast zone Cape Decision To Salisbury Sound Coastal Area | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $541K |
| 2013-05-20 | FloodFt Yukon, Sitka City and Borough | 0 | 0 | $380K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Sitka City and Borough's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 303 | 113 | 50 | 23 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 44 | 123 | 73 | 41 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Sitka City and Borough. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 136 · Feb 127 · Mar 91 · Apr 38 · May 51 · Jun 15 · Jul 13 · Aug 21 · Sep 47 · Oct 54 · Nov 117 · Dec 114 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sitka City and Borough
FEMA's register lists 2 declarations that include Sitka City and Borough: one major disaster, one emergency and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4533 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3446 | Biological | Covid-19 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Sitka City and Borough had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 19 flood or flash flood records for Sitka City and Borough from 2002 to 2023, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sitka City and Borough ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $20,000 on 6 claims filed in Sitka City and Borough; the most in one year was 2 in 1985. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 1 · 1985: 2 · 2009: 2 · 2017: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Sitka City and Borough
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sitka City and Borough Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.3 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | $1.6M | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Moderate | $141K | once in about 3,333 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | $913K | once in about 15 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.2M | once in about 19 years (modeled) |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | $2.0M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $34K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | $7K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $19K | once in about 67 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Sitka City and Borough
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- High wind and dust storms in AlaskaThe state's high wind and dust records, by county, year and month
- The Alaska recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Sitka City and BoroughThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sitka City and Borough's FEMA declarations (CSV)2 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis