Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska
City and Borough storm and disaster record · FIPS 02282 · population 647 · 7,628 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 297 records for Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 280 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (141 records). 297 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 January 26, 2000 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Central Gulf Coast, which covers the county: 1 death, 1 injury and $857,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. 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
- 297on 280 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 32 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $3.6Mas 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 Yakutat City and Borough most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 141 since 1997. 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 | 141 | 139 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $282K | 13 of 29 |
| Winter storms | 136 | 134 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $375K | 13 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 8 | 1999-2023 | 1 | 1 | $443K | 11 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 7 | 7 | 1998-2000 | 2 | 1 | $1.1M | 7 of 29 |
| Floods | 4 | 4 | 1997-2015 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 17 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 Yakutat City and Borough?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 5, 2009 coastal flood ($1.4 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
High astronomical tides and a huge sea state combined to cause coastal flooding along Northeast Gulf Coast. At 1400 AKST the tide gauge at Monti Bay observed 13.47 FT. The NDBC Buoy at the Fairweather Grounds (46083) observed a combined sea of 18 FT. Flooding was observed at the Situk River landing.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 200953)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | Heavy SnowYakutat City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Yakutat | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-14 | High WindYakutat City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Yakutat | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-04 | Winter StormYakutat City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Yakutat | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-28 | Winter StormYakutat City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Yakutat | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-13 | Winter StormYakutat City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Yakutat | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-28 | Heavy SnowYakutat City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Yakutat | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-12 | High WindYakutat City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Yakutat | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-01-03 | Heavy SnowYakutat City and Borough · forecast zone City And Borough Of Yakutat | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-11-05 | Coastal FloodValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Cape Fairweather To Cape Suckling Coastal Area | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2000-01-26 | AvalancheValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast | 1 | 1 | $857K | |
| 1999-12-21 | Heavy SnowValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast | 0 | 0 | $354K | |
| 1999-04-15 | AvalancheValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast | 1 | 0 | $4K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01-26 | AvalancheValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast Avalanche was reported at 5.5 mile on the road from the community of Cordova to the airport. The avalanche obliterated 4 homes and 1 warehouse. In one of the homes, two individuals were buried, one recovered after nearly 6 hours, the other deceased. The community suffered successive heavy snows and strong winds in the ... | 1 | 1 | $857K | |
| 1999-02-03 | Cold/Wind ChillValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast Wind chills as low as 107 degrees below zero continued at Cantwell, in the northern Susitna Valley, briefly improving from the 2nd to the 4th as the cold snap went into its second week. Around Anchorage, temperatures remained below 20 degrees from the 25th of January until the 13th of February. Temperatures on the ... | 1 | 1 | $443K | |
| 1999-04-15 | AvalancheValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast A backhoe and its operator, working on a construction project for the new Cordova Electric Cooperative hydroelectric plant, were caught up in an avalanche about noon on Thursday. Snow broke loose from a steep canyon wall west of Ohmar Falls, tumbled down a 2,000 foot slope, toppling the backhoe and burying it in snow. ... | 1 | 0 | $4K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-11-05 | Coastal FloodValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Cape Fairweather To Cape Suckling Coastal Area | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2000-01-26 | AvalancheValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast | 1 | 1 | $857K | |
| 1999-02-03 | Cold/Wind ChillValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast | 1 | 1 | $443K | |
| 1999-12-21 | Heavy SnowValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast | 0 | 0 | $354K | |
| 1999-04-15 | AvalancheValdez-Cordova Census Area and Yakutat City and Borough · forecast zone Central Gulf Coast | 1 | 0 | $4K |
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 Yakutat 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 | – | – | – | – | 81 | 38 | 13 | 9 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 19 | 40 | 40 | 37 |
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 Yakutat City and Borough. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 47 · Feb 47 · Mar 45 · Apr 22 · May 12 · Jun 1 · Jul 1 · Aug 0 · Sep 11 · Oct 24 · Nov 38 · Dec 49 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Yakutat City and Borough
FEMA's register lists 2 declarations that include Yakutat 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Yakutat City and Borough
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Yakutat City and Borough Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $1.4 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 Moderate | $101K | 75 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | $457K | once in about 30 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $755K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $9K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Tsunami | Very Low | $43K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $1 | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $371 | once in about 91,983 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $50K | once in about 200 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Yakutat 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 Yakutat City and BoroughThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Yakutat City and Borough's FEMA declarations (CSV)2 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis