Southeast Alaska Experiencing First Recorded Extreme Drought

"Alaska’s wettest region is experiencing an extreme drought for the first time in recorded history, climate scientists say.

The southernmost portion of Southeast Alaska, including Ketchikan, Prince of Wales Island, Wrangell and Metlakatla, has been in a drought for the last two years, said Rick Thoman, a climatologist at the Fairbanks-based Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.

Last week, though, the drought was updated to a D3, or “extreme” drought, the second-highest category the U.S. Drought Monitor measures. It’s the first time those conditions have ever been recorded in Alaska, according to the Drought Monitor."

Madeline McGee reports for the Anchorage Daily News May 27, 2019.