Extreme precipitation events associated with atmospheric rivers (ARs) trigger floods, landslides, and avalanches that threaten lives and livelihoods in Southeast Alaska. Six rural and indigenous communities (Hoonah, Klukwan, Skagway, Yakutat, Craig, and Kasaan) identified specific needs regarding these hazards and joined the Southeast Alaska Coastlines and People (CoPe) Kutí Hub to address the shared challenge of understanding and predicting these events. This study presents a climatology (1980–2019) of synoptic, mesoscale, and local meteorological characteristics of ARs and heavy precipitation across this region. High‐amplitude upper‐level patterns across the northeastern Pacific Ocean favor ARs reaching Southeast Alaska, where moisture is orographically lifted, resulting in heavy precipitation. In the six communities, ARs occur 8–15 days per month, yet only 6 AR days per year account for up to 68%–91% of precipitation extremes. Furthermore, 80%–96% of days with extreme precipitation have >75th percentile integrated water vapor transport (IVT), demonstrating the strong relationship between IVT and extreme precipitation. This study also highlights the relationship between IVT direction and complex coastal topography in determining precipitation extremes. For example, in Klukwan and Skagway, 80%–90% of extreme AR days have south‐southwesterly or south‐southeasterly IVT. Coastal communities like Yakutat experience higher IVT and precipitation overall, and although southeasterly IVT is more common, extreme precipitation events are most common with southwesterly IVT. Collaboration with the National Weather Service in Juneau, Alaska will lead to improved situational awareness, forecasts, and Impact Decision Support Services to communities, saving lives and property in a region vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Plain Language Summary: Extreme precipitation events associated with atmospheric rivers (ARs) trigger floods, landslides, and avalanches that threaten lives and livelihoods in Southeast Alaska. ARs, long and narrow regions of intense water vapor transport, reach Southeast Alaska 8–15 days per month, yet only six ARs per year account for up to 91% of precipitation extremes. This study shows that ARs that result in extreme precipitation in six rural and indigenous communities (Hoonah, Klukwan, Skagway, Yakutat, Craig, and Kasaan) are more likely to have stronger moisture transport, and that the direction of the moisture transport plays a role in precipitation outcomes in each community. Coastal communities like Yakutat experience higher moisture transport and precipitation overall, and although moisture transport from the southeast is more common, extreme precipitation events are more common when moisture transport comes from the southwest. Communities located further inland, such as Klukwan and Skagway, have lower moisture transport, but similar precipitation outcomes, and 80%–90% of extreme AR days have south‐southwesterly or south‐southeasterly moisture transport. The results illustrate the opportunity to incorporate additional characteristics of Southeast Alaskan ARs to improve situational awareness, forecasts, and messaging from the National Weather Service Office in Juneau, Alaska for the vulnerable communities that they serve. Key Points: Atmospheric rivers occur on ∼120 days per year in Southeast Alaska, but ∼6 days produce 68%–91% of precipitation days >95th percentileIn six rural and indigenous Southeast AK communities, 80%–96% of days with extreme precipitation have >75th percentile moisture transportExtreme precipitation in Southeast Alaska is more likely during atmospheric rivers with south‐southwesterly moisture transport [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]