The 2009 Alaska floods were a series of natural disasters taking place in the United States state of Alaska during April and May 2009. The floods were a result of heavier-than-normal winter snowfall and above-average spring temperatures that resulted in rapid melting of the winter snowfall. The resulting high water levels were magnified in places by the development of ice dams which caused catastrophic flooding. The record-breaking flood that affected Eagle, Alaska in early May is the best example of an ice dam causing flooding beyond the norm. Causes The winter of 2008–2009 brought unusually heavy snowfall to much of Alaska. Kotzebue, on the Bering Sea coast, received a record 102 inches of snowfall—more than double the average of about 40 inches. In other locations, winter snowfall did not set records but still was heavier than average. Fairbanks, Alaska's second-largest city, received 71.5 inches of snow and experienced unusually cold temperatures for the first three months of the year, preventing early melting of the snowpack. Snow also fell heavily in Lake Minchumina and the Alaska Range. At Eagle, the ice on the Yukon River was 55 inches thick—over 40 percent greater than normal. By mid-April, concerns were raised that the heavy snowpack would pose a problem if it melted quickly. "There's plenty of snowpack out there to cause problems this year," warned a National Weather Service meteorologist at the time. In Fairbanks and most of Interior Alaska, temperatures remained below freezing for most of April and temperatures did not hit 50 degrees until April 26. After that date, temperatures rose rapidly. By April 28, the snowpack at Fairbanks International Airport had melted, leaving only snow berms and piles. The next day, Fairbanks recorded a record high temperature of 74 degrees. On April 30, Fairbanks set an all-time high temperature for the month of April when the thermometer reached 76 degrees. Record high temperatures also were recorded at Eagle, Delta Junction, and other towns in central Alaska. In less than one week, central Alaska residents went from skiing to swatting mosquitoes. The warmup was so rapid that on May 1, the Alaska Division of Forestry issued its first wildfire alert of the year. By that date, however, rivers across central Alaska were already flooding. Tanana Valley The Tanana River valley was the first area of Alaska to experience spring flooding. On April 28, the ice on the Salcha River broke up,