Science in the Spotlight: Flooding in Alaskan Coastal Communities
On October 12, 2025, a powerful coastal storm brought hurricane-force winds and devastating storm surges to Western Alaska. The floodwaters swept through towns and remote villages, carrying away homes and displacing entire communities. As residents survey the damage left in the storm's aftermath, how can researchers collaborate with communities to create strategies to prepare for and adapt to the challenges of increasingly extreme weather? In this Explorer Series Conversation, we talk with NSF NCAR scientists Alice DuVivier and Laura Landrum about the recent Alaskan floods and their work in partnership with Alaskan communities.
Event Recording
Alice DuVivier
Alice DuVivier is a Project Scientist in the CGD laboratory at NSF NCAR. Her work focuses on the polar regions and how it is changing. She uses the Community Earth System Model (CESM) to investigate physical processes and changes in the Arctic and Antarctic. Her interests include understanding exchanges of energy and moisture between the sea ice, atmosphere, and ocean. She also investigates how the changing polar regions will affect natural ecosystems and the people living and working in these regions. Alice enjoys getting outside and enjoying nature.
Laura Landrum
Laura Landrum is a scientist in the CGD laboratory at NSF NCAR. Laura’s research interests lie in sea ice and polar regions. She uses models and observations to investigate changes in the polar regions, as well as interactions between high latitude oceans, atmosphere, and sea ice. She is also interested in using model projections of future changes to help understand potential impacts on polar ecosystems and communities. She participates regularly in outreach events, discussing her research with local communities.