StEER Typhoon Merbok Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR)

Typhoon Merbok struck Western Alaska on September 17, 2022, producing hurricane-force winds, higher than normal tidal ranges, and storm surges of up to 10 feet above mean high water. This event caused wind damage as well as severe riverine and coastal flooding, affecting about 21,000 people in approximately 40 cities and villages along an approximately 1,300-mile-long section of the Western and Northwestern Alaska coastline. The storm impacted Western Alaska with wind gusts as high as 91 mph and historic high water surge levels of 10.5 feet above the low-tide level in Nome, the highest since a major storm in 1974. It also brought flash flooding and erosion and impacted critical infrastructure, such as roads, airports, power infrastructure, etc. Five communities, including Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Golovin, Newtok, and Nome, were severely impacted by the storm. Coastal erosion was the primary hazard causing significant damage to airport runways, berms, roadway embankments, and bridge abutments. Besides Infrastructure damage, local subsistence infrastructure including hunting and fishing camps, boats, vehicles, and equipment were damaged or destroyed by the storm, particularly near Nome and Chevak, and power outages threatened frozen subsistence foods stored for the winter. This project encompasses the products of StEER's response to this event, the Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (PVRR), which is intended to (i) provide an overview of Typhoon Merbok, particularly relating to flooding and storm surge impact on the built environment, (ii) overview the regulatory environment and construction practices in the affected area, (iii) synthesize preliminary reports of damage to buildings and other infrastructure, and provide recommendations for continued study of this event by StEER and the wider engineering reconnaissance community.

2022年9月17日，台风梅尔博克（Typhoon Merbok）袭击阿拉斯加西部地区，伴随飓风级强风、潮差超出常规水平的潮汐波动，以及最高较平均高潮位高出10英尺的风暴潮。此次灾害不仅造成风力损毁，还引发了严重的内河洪涝与沿海洪灾，影响了阿拉斯加西部及西北海岸约1300英里岸段沿线的近40座城镇与村落，共计约21000名民众。该风暴的阵风风速最高达91英里/小时，在诺姆（Nome）观测到的历史最高风暴潮水位较低潮位高出10.5英尺，为1974年一场强风暴以来的最高纪录。此外，风暴还引发了山洪与海岸侵蚀，并对道路、机场、电力基础设施等关键基础设施造成破坏，包括胡珀贝（Hooper Bay）、斯卡蒙贝（Scammon Bay）、戈洛夫金（Golovin）、纽托克（Newtok）与诺姆在内的五个社区受灾最为严重。海岸侵蚀是此次灾害的主要致灾因子，对机场跑道、护岸、公路路堤及桥台造成了显著损毁。除基础设施受损外，当地生计保障基础设施——包括狩猎与捕鱼营地、船只、车辆及作业设备——也在风暴中受损或被毁，尤以诺姆与切瓦克（Chevak）周边区域为甚；同时停电事故还威胁到了冬季储存的冷冻生计用食品的安全。本项目收录了结构工程极端事件侦察团队（StEER，Structural Engineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance）针对此次灾害的响应成果：《初步虚拟侦察报告》（Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report, PVRR），该报告旨在达成三项目标：一是概述台风梅尔博克的灾害概况，重点聚焦洪涝与风暴潮对建成环境的影响；二是梳理受灾区域的监管环境与施工实践；三是综合汇总建筑及其他基础设施的初步损毁评估报告，并为StEER及全球工程侦察学界后续开展该事件的研究提供建议。