Photos by Nick Hevezi

GALENA, Alaska -- (May, 2013) The Yukon river floods the rural village of Galena due to an "ice jam." As the deep freeze of winter subsides, the Yukon starts to move and the ice begins to break apart. Sometimes flooding occurs when the ice gets "jammed" at choke points down river and flooding results. On May 28, flooding became severe as unusually warm temperatures excelled the annual melt. Nearly all of Galena's approximately 600 residents were evacuated to neighboring villages and cities. It is estimated that near 80 percent of all homes and buildings in Galena were damaged by the flood. Many homes were dislodged from their foundations. There were no reports of injuries to any of the residents. Galena is the site of a former U.S. Air Force base and was returned to the state following the end of the Cold War. (Nick Hevezi photo)