The city of Kotzebue is under mandatory evacuation orders. That’s as the community prepares for flooding the National Weather Service warns could be worse than last year’s flood , which led to dozens of evacuations and two families losing their homes.

Flooding had already begun by Wednesday afternoon, and the Weather Service forecast said water could rise as high as 10 feet above the high tide line. Flood waters are expected to peak around 8 p.m. Wednesday night.

The city said Wednesday afternoon that the mandatory evacuation was issued to assist elders and to prepare residents to evacuate before dark. On Tuesday night, 28 residents stayed at Kotzebue Middle High School, which is the local evacuation point.

Kotzebue mayor Derek Haviland-Lie said first responders might not be able to

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