A massive storm pounded the rural western coast of Alaska early Wednesday with hurricane-force gusts, severe coastal flooding and widespread blizzard conditions, US meteorologists said.
The National Weather Service (NWS) called it "one of the worst Bering Sea storms on record" and warned people living in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately.
"Sea levels will rise eight to 10 feet (2.5 to three meters) above normal by Wednesday morning in most areas, with waves 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to six meters)," it said in a bulletin.
The storm is packing winds of 50-70 miles (80-110 kilometers) an hour with occasional gusts as high as 100 miles (160 kilometers) an hour -- the strength of a category two hurricane, the NWS said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the sparsely populated western coast, and Alaska's main population centers, including Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks, are far from the path of the storm.