Huffington Post by Rachel D'oro and Mary Pemberton (excerpts):  Anchorage, Alaska - One town is buried in snow.  Another is iced in.  This year's winter is being meaner than usual for at least two Alaska communities.  Now, residents are looking for outside help.  Dozens of National Guard members are helping the fishing town of Cordova dig out of mountains of snow that collapsed roofs, triggered avalanches and trapped some people in homes.  By one count, more than 10 feet of snow has fallen in the town of 2,000 in the last few weeks.  With high winds, more snow and possibly rain in the forecast, responders and local volunteers Monday were trying to shovel out buildings considered most at risk.  Almost 700 miles to the northwest, the old gold rush town of Nome is iced-in, awaiting the arrival of a Russian tanker that's barely inching along in its mission to deliver fuel.  A Coast Guard vessel is cutting a path in the thick ice of the Bering Sea, but ship crews are encountering challenges that are sometimes forcing the vessels to come to a complete stop.  All of it means that the town could potentially face a fuel shortage.  The scale of the mission is unprecedented for the Coast Guard in the Atlantic, Commander Greg Tlapa, executive officer of the Healy, told the Associated Press by satellite Monday.  This winter, almost 15 feet of snow has fallen on Cordova.  The town issued a disaster declaration Friday, prompting the National Guard to send more than 70 troops Sunday.  

Commentary:  The prophet Isaiah wrote, "Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, will cast down to the earth with the hand" Isaiah 28:2.  "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not acquit the wicked; the Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet" Nahum 1:3.  We have never seen such storms, rain, flooding, earthquakes and fires throughout the world in recorded history, not since the flood of Noah's day, but we are seeing record-breaking storms, earthquakes and fires throughout the world now.  Have you asked yourself why?  The Bible says, "As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son (Jesus) of man be" Matthew 24:37.  The hand of God is coming down on the world, not just on Alaska.  Much of the world has forgotten God and He has been long-suffering, but now He is issuing warnings of the impending return of His Son Jesus Christ.  Are you ready to face God if the Lord appears today?  If not, please visit the How Can I Be Saved page of this site.  God bless you.