Skagway Municipality, Alaska
Municipality storm and disaster record · FIPS 02230 · population 1,238 · 443 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 313 records for Skagway Municipality, Alaska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 292 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (161 records). 313 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 October 12, 1996 heavy snow, filed for the forecast zone Taiya Inlet And Klondike Highway, which covers the county: 1 death and $94,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 3 declarations naming the county since 2020, 1 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on February 17, 2021.
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
- 313on 292 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 126 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $611Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 3latest 2021
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 Skagway Municipality most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 161 since 1996. 55% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 161 | 153 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 26 | $514K | 1 of 29 |
| High wind and dust storms | 137 | 135 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $84K | 1 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 8 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $11K | 1 of 29 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 29 |
| Floods | 2 | 2 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 3 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 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 Skagway Municipality?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 11, 1996 ice storm (18 injuries and $122,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Cool, but shallow, arctic air was in place. Areas of rain moved through the area from the southeast, falling as freezing rain at the surface around Anchorage.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 5573302)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-06 | High WindSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-22 | High WindSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-14 | High WindSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-09 | Winter StormSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-21 | Heavy SnowSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-19 | Heavy SnowSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-09 | Heavy SnowSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-17 | High WindSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-13 | High WindSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-26 | Heavy SnowSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-09 | Heavy SnowSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Municipality Of Skagway | 0 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-10-12 | Heavy SnowSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Taiya Inlet And Klondike Highway The arctic front extended from the southern Copper River Basin into the extreme eastern Kenai Peninsula. A 984mb low just west of Middleton Island drifted counterclockwise through Prince William Sound, producing a Winter Storm across almost the entire Cook Inlet/Susitna Valley area. Snow was combined with freezing ... | 1 | 0 | $94K | |
| 1996-11-11 | Ice StormSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Taiya Inlet And Klondike Highway Cool, but shallow, arctic air was in place. Areas of rain moved through the area from the southeast, falling as freezing rain at the surface around Anchorage. | 0 | 18 | $122K | |
| 1996-11-07 | Ice StormSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Taiya Inlet And Klondike Highway Precipitation, briefly in the form of freezing rain, fell in the Anchorage area Thursday morning. Many roads became ice covered producing dangerous driving conditions in many areas. Vehicle accidents dotted the area...most "minor" in nature. | 0 | 8 | $75K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-11-11 | Ice StormSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Taiya Inlet And Klondike Highway | 0 | 18 | $122K | |
| 1996-10-12 | Heavy SnowSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Taiya Inlet And Klondike Highway | 1 | 0 | $94K | |
| 1996-11-07 | Ice StormSkagway Municipality · forecast zone Taiya Inlet And Klondike Highway | 0 | 8 | $75K |
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 Skagway Municipality'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 32 | 66 | 54 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 83 | 14 | 20 | 20 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 70 · Feb 51 · Mar 34 · Apr 17 · May 10 · Jun 2 · Jul 2 · Aug 4 · Sep 9 · Oct 22 · Nov 34 · Dec 58 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Skagway Municipality
FEMA's register lists 3 declarations that include Skagway Municipality: 2 major disasters, one emergency and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and mud/landslide (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-17 | DR-4585 | Mud/Landslide | Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Skagway Municipality
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Skagway Municipality Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $675,000. 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 Moderate | $72K | 5.3 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $34K | 27 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $351K | 8.8 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $173K | once in about 79 years (modeled) |
| Tsunami | Very Low | $6K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $852 | once in about 15,564 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $602 | 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 Skagway Municipality
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Winter storms in AlaskaThe state's winter storm 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 Skagway MunicipalityThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Skagway Municipality's FEMA declarations (CSV)3 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis