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Nome LEPC
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1.  Geographic Location:  SEWARD PENINSULA, NORTON SOUND, ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND, DIOMEDE.  Nome was built along the Bering Sea, on the Seward Peninsula, 510 air miles north of Anchorage, after the "Three Lucky Swedes" discovered gold on Anvil Creek in 1898.  The area encompasses 13.8 square miles of land and 9.1 square miles of water.  Nome is envisioned as becoming the focal point for the, as yet unorganized, Bering Straits LEPD, which will include St. Lawrence Island, Diomede, and all the Seward Peninsula communities from Shishmaref to Stebbens.

2.  Size and Activity:  Nome population 3656.  It is the center of the Bering Strait/Seward Peninsula region.  Government services provide the majority of employment.  Fifty-seven residents hold commercial fishing permits.  Retail services, transportation, mining, medical and other businesses provide year-round income.  Subsistence activities contribute to the local diet.

3.  Communities:  Nome is the only 1st Class City in the district.  When organized, the Bering Straits LEPD will also include fifteen 2nd Class Cities and three unorganized communities, with a total population exceeding 9000 residents.

4.  Hazards Analysis:  Moderate to High Risk.  The City of Nome has experienced and remains susceptible to major structural fires and severe flood damage from the storm driven waters of the Bering Sea.  When an advancing storm surge coincides with normal high tides, severe flooding may result along the entire waterfront area of the city.  The community is exposed to other disasters, to include severe winter storms, major aircraft accidents, and catastrophic failure of its electric power generating facility, which would be destructive to the city’s water and sewage systems during periods of sub-zero temperatures.  Nome is not considered to be in a high risk area for earthquakes and the danger from tsunamis is minimal.  Additionally, all the villages in the district are heavy users of fuel and fuel derivatives for vehicles, heating, and power generation.  The high volume of fuel usage, fuel storage, and fuel transit are consistent with a high risk for spillage.

5. Staffing:  Volunteer only.

6.   Status of Emergency Planning Process:  

7.   Plan focus:  All Hazards
 

8.  LEPC Grant Awards:  SFY 2008

Alaska State Emergency Response Commission
P.O. Box 5750, Fort Richardson, AK 99505-5750
Phone: (907)428-7000 Fax: (907)428-7009
dhs&em_emergency_mgmt@ak-prepared.com

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Last Modified 12/31/2007