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In 1994, the base was downsized, and both family housing and schools were closed. These buildings house a basketball court, squash court, saunas, bowling alley, and more, all in an unusable state of disrepair.Īt its peak, the station housed over 6,000 naval and Coast Guard personnel and their families.
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Large earthquakes rocked the island in 1957, 19.Ībandoned military buildings on Adak Island. After the war, Adak was developed as a naval air station, playing an important role during the Cold War as a submarine surveillance center. and Canadian forces to mount a successful offensive against the Japanese-held islands of Kiska and Attu. Military involvement and the naval station Īdak Army installations allowed U.S. However, they continued to hunt and fish actively around the island over the years, until World War II broke out. The once heavily populated island was eventually abandoned in the early 19th century as the Aleutian Island hunters followed the Russian fur trade eastward, and famine set in on the Andreanof Island group. The Aleutian Islands were historically occupied by the Unanga, more commonly known now as the Aleuts. History and culture Great Sitkin Island view with Telephoto from Adak, AK 19th century Source 2: XMACIS2 (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010), WRCC (extremes)
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With 263 rainy days per year, Adak has the second highest number of any inhabited locality in the United States after Hilo, Hawaii.Ĭlimate data for Adak, Alaska (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1942–present) Snowfall averages nearly 100 inches (250 cm) per winter season, which however tends to melt soon after falling. December is the wettest single month on average, while June and July are markedly the driest months, with thunderstorms virtually unknown here. Average annual precipitation is 65.6 inches (1,670 mm) annually, concentrated markedly in fall and winter. Average temperatures range from 20 to 60 ☏ (−7 to 16 ☌), but wind chill factors can be severe. During the summer, extensive fog forms over the Bering Sea and North Pacific. Winter squalls produce wind gusts in excess of 100 knots (120 mph 190 km/h). Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 127.3 square miles (330 km 2), of which 122.4 square miles (317 km 2) is land and 4.9 square miles (13 km 2) (3.87%) is water.Īdak has a subpolar oceanic climate ( Cfc), characterized by persistently overcast skies, moderated temperatures, high winds, significant precipitation and frequent cyclonic storms. It is less than three degrees of latitude north of the 49th parallel, which forms the western part of the land border between the Contiguous United States and Canada.Īccording to the U.S. Adak is the southernmost community in Alaska and on the same latitude as Haida Gwaii in Canada, and London, England. Flight time to Anchorage is 3 hours or longer, depending on weather. 10, T096S, R195W, Seward Meridian), near the Russian end of the arc that makes up this volcanic island chain. It lies 1,200 miles (1,930 km) southwest of Anchorage and 450 miles (724 km) west of Dutch Harbor at 51.872° North, 176.636° West (Sec. (See Extreme points of the United States.) The city is the former location of the Adak Navy Base and Adak Naval Operating Base, NAVFAC Adak.Īdak is located on Kuluk Bay, on Adak Island, in the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands Recording District, and in the 3rd Judicial District. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. At the 2020 census, the population was 171, down from 326 in 2010. Adak ( / ˈ eɪ d æ k/, Aleut: Adaax, Russian: Адак), formerly Adak Station, is a city located on Adak Island, in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States.
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