Late night storm downs trees, sparks fires in Interior Alaska
Originally published Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 1:11 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 3:16 p.m.
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FAIRBANKS -- Late Monday evening, lightning spread across the sky like a skeletal hand print and left its mark in and around the city of Fairbanks with downed trees and traffic signs and even sparking a few distant fires.
At about 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Susan Roatch woke up to a loud crash outside her house on 17th Avenue.
“When I finally stopped being scared I went out and looked around this morning and I thought my three trees had been struck by lightning,” she said.
Lightning or wind blown, the damage was there.
One of the cottonwood trees damaged a portion of the roof and now lies on the ground in an alley behind her two-story home.
“It was completely uprooted from the roots and knocked over flat,” she said.
Roatch was just one of several Fairbanks residents who woke up to storm damage.
Fairbanks police received three reports early Tuesday morning of trees and road signs that had fallen or been blown down into the road, according to Lt. Tara Tippett.
Callers reported a road sign blocking traffic on Third Street and the Old Steese Highway around 2 a.m. and another caller reported some small trees in the roadway at Clay Street and Wendell Avenue around 2:30 a.m.
A tree was also reported down across the road in the Island Homes Subdivision on Bentley Drive at around 6 a.m.
“They had public works come over and they removed the tree,” Tippett said.
Public Works spent most of the morning cleaning up fallen trees, road signs and other storm debris.
Golden Valley Electric Association also had reports of a few small power outages.
As of 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, no damaged power lines have been reported.
Meteorologist Corey Bogel of the National Weather Service expects that the next few days will remain unsettled across the state with showers and thunderstorms.
“We picked up anywhere from a half-inch to an inch and a quarter of rain last night,” Bogel said. “Reports of hail varied across the state but the storm seems to be moving eastward.”
There is a flood watch now in effect through Tuesday evening in the upper Tanana Valley and Fortymile Country, which includes Tok, Tanacross, Eagle and Chicken.
The lightning storms came in from the north and were greeted by a very warm and moist air mass here in the Interior.
“Fairbanks is a favorable environment for lightning,” he said.
Bogel also offered a few safety tips about lightning.
“The best thing to do is get into a building with plumbing and electricity or get into a vehicle,” Bogel said. “The important thing is to avoid being outside and try not to be the tallest thing around, so stay out the hills or near trees.”
More than 4,354 lightning strikes were reported Monday statewide, according to the state Division of Forestry. Since Monday morning, 21 fires have been reported.
On Sunday, Alaska received 6,383 lightning strikes from the Canadian border toward Fairbanks and down through Bethel and into the Pacific, according to a press release issued Monday by the Division of Forestry.
Firefighters responded to fires outside Healy, about 75 miles away near Bear Creek.
The Bear Creek fire was about 7 acres and burned west of the Parks Highway, near mile 267.
According to the press release, the burn received an aggressive response because it was burning in black spruce and a remote subdivision.
Firefighters worked through the night but there is no current estimate of containment according to Doug Stockdale of the Alaska Fire Service.
Firefighters responded to two smaller fires in the Fairbanks area, neither of which was considered threatening.
Of the 288 fires this year, roughly two-thirds have been in the last week because of lightning-caused fires that have grown quickly due to windy conditions.
So far this season, 27,675 acres statewide have been burned.
Community Discussion
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North Chicken???
Corinne: North Chicken is where North Pole sends all its Democrats.
It was a relatively impressive storm, by Fairbanks standards. I only know because my dog had a panic attack and kept me up to enjoy the show!
Anybody have doggie-downer advice for panicy pouches?
-RK
It was a dark and stormy night...
Well, not that dark. But I got up and watched it. All I could think, is man, I'm glad I'm not camping.
it was an amazing storm. all my husband kept saying was you should see the ones in mississippi... since im not there ill enjoy the ones here.. it was peaceful and beautiful
Dear Dorothy,
Hate Oz, took the shoes. Find your own way home.
Signed:
Toto
Yessirreeee, that was a rock 'n' roll night! From my vantage point up here in the hills it looked like wall-to-wall flash-bangs at times. Bless the fire crews - we had a strike right close and they were on it in a heartbeat. I just LOVE the people in those big ugly yellow trucks!
RK - I've had lots of thunderphobic dogs over the years. One that I have now used to be FREAKED OUT by thunder or other loud rumbling noises. I decided to try to train her out of it so I got a cassette tape of thunder and played it over and over. And every time I played it I would give her treats and make happy over her. Now when it thunders she goes to the shelf where the treats are kept and stares at the treat jar. She doesn't go ballistic with shaking & barfing & carrying on but does shiver a little while munching on dog cookies.
(Disclaimer: I am not a vet but this has worked for me and people have told me that these things have worked for their dogs.)
I am allergic to all sorts of stuff so I have benadryl on hand always; a dog dose is up to 1 milligram per pound of body weight, and that dose will make most doggies very, very sleepy and relaxed. I've used it on occasion with good results - a 'stoned' puppy is a non-phobic puppy. LOL
A homeopathic remedy that is very safe and quite effective for some dogs is the Phosphorous PHUS 30C which is available in health food stores. This is a natural compound, which is used for fear of thunder or loud noises. Drop 3 to 5 pellets down the back of the dog's throat (do not touch the pellets with your hand) every fifteen minutes until you start to see results. Then stop. You can resume giving the pellets if the dog starts to get agitated again. If Phosphorous does not seem to work, during the next storm try Aconitum Napellus 30C. Administer it as above. Practitioners of homeopathy point out that a remedy either will work or not, but it will not harm the dog or cause side effects.
Remember too that how you react can seriously influence your dog. If you act cool, calm and confident whilst fireworks are going off your dog is more likely to cope. If you act all "Oh poor Poopsie! Now don't worry, Mommy's herrrrre!" your dog will figure there really IS something going on that's worth worrying about!
Thanks Endoftheroad.
I've had nervous dogs over the years, but never witnessed a dog having a panic attack. One of my workmates also mentioned using benedril to me this morning. I may try that next time, or at least a stiff shot of burbon -(for me!)
-RK
I agree. I would always talk to my dogs like it was "fun" to hear the thunder - laugh and talk happily. With the first sound of thunder, I would say something like, "Oooooo Listen to that. Isn't that nice?" in a very happy tone of voice. They figuired "Mom knows best," and never showed any fear. Of course, lots of petting helps, too - but make like it's no big deal. Dogs can read our emotions, and they know when we're fearful, calm, or whatever.
yeah.... that storm didn't hold a candle to one i experienced while visiting huntsville alabama. there i felt i was caught in the middle of a war between the earth and the atmosphere. and i WAS out camping! blinding flashes and explosive booms all around me.
If Benedryl isn't enough to calm your dog, your vet can prescribe something stronger. We have a dog that freaks out so bad during thunder storms that she hyperventilates and requires presciption medication. We give it to her when we first hear thunder, and she gets through the storms in much better shape.
Global warming quit burning fuel!
“The best thing to do is get into a building with plumbing and electricity or get into a vehicle,” Bogel said.
What do plumbing and electricity have to do with anything? What about us barbarians that live in dry cabins? Are we at risk of being struck by lightening because we have no running water?
Buildings with plumbing and electricity are grounded so if they are hit by lightening the charge will hopefully travel to the ground through the plumbing and wires if they are "properly" grounded. If you live in a dry cabin you can sit in a chair that has its legs inside inverted class canning jars. That way, when the cabin is hit, the electricity cannot travel up the legs of the chair and char your backside. This is how those who work the fire look-out towers in the western states keep from getting "shocked" in their little houses on stilts atop those mountains.
When it is warm the global warming alarmists called it global climate change. When it is cold, they called it local weather behavior.
polarmark, my brother used to blow up unexploded ordinance in huntsville. Sure it was a storm? or lil bro letting off a few pounds of C4?
Okey, so I thought I was safe in my house while enjoying (my dog included) the storms. Now I'm not so sure. House with plumbing and electricity, I have plumbing, it's all self contained, nothing on the outside. I have electricity but I don't see anything that goes to the ground as in a grounding rod or pole. My cabin is on posts and pads, and the only thing besides these that touch the ground is my septic piping.
So I don't see my cats and dogs standing with their feet in glass jars or even sitting in a chair... and I don't want to be hauling two 12lb. cats and the dogs out to the truck every time I hear a little thunder. Oh and what about all the fish I have in their tanks full of water!
Any comments, suggestions?
Treehugger, if you use the glass jar approach, make sure and drink the moonshine out of em first.
DenaliGuy, Ha good idea, I'll remember that, just as the lightening strikes my metel roof and I bend over to kiss...
Thanks for the suggestion!
Oooohhh... thanks, saltcreekboy! :)
Cats and dogs with their feet in glass jars! OMG! :P
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