Aid Reaches Freezing Arctic Village [Kaktovik AK pop 300 in ANWR, runway blocked, -20F 65 mph wind]

AP via yahoo ^ | Jan 11, 2005 | MARY PEMBERTON

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Where's the Global warming when you need it?

[Mike Fieschko]

Where's the Global warming when you need it?

In Nome. December there was maybe 20 degrees warmer than the average. They were around freezing a lot of the month.

[chemicalman]

Overheard in the maintenance building:
"Global warming my a__!"

[GummyIII]

Talk about cold! Brrr!!

[Mike Fieschko]

Wonder what they were burning in the stoves? They are a little north of the tree line.

[Mike Fieschko]

Talk about cold! Brrr!!

A good read is Jack London's To Build a Fire. London was born on Jan 12.

[expatguy]

Im not sure I want to know.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Polar Bear chips.....

[konaice]

People who couldn't leave their homes were using propane stoves, kerosene heaters and wood stoves to try to stay warm, or bundling up in arctic gear. No injuries have been reported, said Dennis O. Packer, also in the mayor's office.

In other words, same as usual.

The big problem in these situations is not people getting cold or freezing (houses keep the wind off and everybody who lives in rural Alaska has more than one source of heat.

The problem is water and sewer lines, if left un-used will freeze and that means total replacement of an entire village sewer system.

Happened in Bethel Alaska, a few years ago where the Generator Building burned down, and destroyed the generators and switch gear. Because no warm water was flowing thru the sewer, it froze and burst pipes all over town and was a total write-off. It was back to honey-buckets.

[Alberta's Child]

The cold weather isn't really the issue here -- the loss of power is . . . -20 to -25 Fahrenheit actually sounds balmy north of the Arctic Circle in January.

This month marks the 24th anniversary of the infamous 1981 AFC Championship Game in Cincinnati between the Bengals and the Chargers. The game was played on one of the coldest days in Ohio history; the game-time temperature was around -15, and the wind chill was measured at -59 degrees. If you've ever seen video highlights of this game, the one thing that stands out is the enormous clouds of mist emanating from each player's face as they exhaled during the game.

[ProudVet77]

honey-buckets
Perhaps the ultimate euphemism.
Have to admit I can not imagine living like that. It's bad enough in MA. I have a bad case of cabin fever already.

[hosepipe]

This is normal in January there..
Been doing in for thousands of years.. maybe millions..
Also, gets way colder than 25 below too..

[rawhide]

This is really nothing, imho. The people still have access to a building that is warm. Why are people making a big deal out of this, slow news day, I guess.

[Graybeard58]

Just read "To Build A Fire" Now I'm cold.

[Alaska Wolf]

-67F at Burwash Landing, Yukon on Kluane Lake this morning. Tok, Alaska was -57F. We get Chinook Winds in mid-winter carrying warm are off the Pacific, but these Siberian highs can be brutal and last for weeks at a time.

[konaice]

honey-buckets Perhaps the ultimate euphemism. Have to admit I can not imagine living like that.

Heh... Yeah But its not usually as bad as you imagine. Perhaps thats because you've never seen a modern honey bucket system. Its not at all what you might think. Not dramatically different that the nicest porta-potty you have seen, other than its built into the bathroom wall, and serviced from the outside - usually by a contractor who also deals with chemical toilets. They are well vented and sanitary, and their reputation is much worse than their true nature. Now 30 years ago, things were different, there were no service companies. Most people were smart enough to use outhouses rather than try to buile it into the house in those days.

[ProudVet77]

Sorry, my "I can not imagine living like that" was about the darkness and the cold. I've kayaked and camped along the main coastal islands and you have to take everything off when you leave. And I mean everything. When I started it was a .50 caliber ammo box with a plastic bag. You're right, the new ones are much better. Last time I went it was a sit down deal. We'd try to place it up on a ledge so you could enjoy the view. When folded up it was nicknamed the "PC". Gave new meaning to send EMail. :)

[Species8472]

Wonder what they were burning in the stoves?

Kaktovik sits right on top of ANWR. There are many natural oil seeps in the vicinity (how do you think they discovered oil there in the first place) The people of Kaktovik have been burning mats of oil soaked tundra since before the white man arrived.

[Species8472]

Summertime in Kaktovik!