( CNN ) -- A powerful and dangerous Bering Sea storm prepared to slam Alaska 's west coast late Tuesday , bringing a brutal mix of high seas , blizzard conditions and strong winds , the National Weather Service said . Sustained winds in some areas are expected to reach up to hurricane-force levels of 75 and 80 miles per hour , with higher gusts possible , meteorologist Stephen Kearney told CNN . Nome , with a population of about 3,700 , will endure sea levels 7 to 8 feet above normal , with occasional 10-foot waves , he said . Chip Leeper , incident commander with the Nome government , said people in low-lying areas and on the edges of a sea wall are being advised to seek shelter elsewhere . There were no mandatory evacuations late Tuesday . While the town was taking the matter seriously , residents were taking things in stride . `` Most people are a hardy lot , '' Leeper told CNN . `` We do n't scare easy . '' Forecasters said the storm would cross the Chukotsk Peninsula and take a northwestern track into the Chukchi Sea on Wednesday . Widespread flooding and severe beach erosion are expected in several areas , including Norton Sound . While fall storms happen , this one has officials particularly concerned because of the anticipated coastal flooding . Usually , the less-populated Aleutian Islands to the south are most affected . The U.S. Coast Guard said it had moved helicopters into positions to assist . `` We are prestaging helicopters from Air Station Kodiak to parts of Western Alaska in response to severe weather advisories , including hurricane force winds and high seas that are forecast all along the west coast of Alaska , '' said Capt . Daniel Travers , Coast Guard District 17 chief of incident management . A 143-foot fishing trawler , Rebecca Irene , had lost an engine in the Bering Sea and Coast Guard crews were preparing to remove non-essential personnel , the Coast Guard said in a statement . The mayor of Point Hope , an Inupait village , told CNN Fairbanks affiliate KTVF the community was prepared . Mayor Steve Oomittuck said , if necessary , everyone in the village of about 700 will go to the school , which sits on higher ground .
National Weather Service tracks major storm in Bering Sea . U.S. Coast Guard makes preparations . The Associated Press contributed to this report.