U.S. Coast Guard braces for severe weather

ANCHORAGE - U.S. Coast Guard units in Alaska brace for severe weather that could hit the Bering Sea and Western Alaska.

The crews of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche and Air Station Kodiak were pre-staged to parts of Western Alaska in case of severe weather, such as hurricane-force winds and dangerous seas, said Cmdr. Shawn Decker, Coast Guard sector Anchorage chief of response in a prepared statement released Thursday.

“Coast Guard personnel stand ready to work alongside federal and state responders to address concerns and to provide aid for any emergencies that arise in Western Alaska communities as a result of the storm,” he said.

But it’s “more or less business as usual,” said Shawn Eggert, Coast Guard public affairs officer.
People need to have a head’s up because severe weather can affect the Coast Guard’s ability to respond to emergencies, the statement explained.

Western Alaska is no stranger to severe storms. Storms in 1974 and 2011 pummeled Western Alaska, ripping off roofs, flooding roads and displacing Alaskans.
Mariners are encouraged to closely monitor radio weather broadcasts, the Coast Guard said.