Efforts Underway to Provide Refuge for Alaskan Villagers Displaced by Storm

Forecasts for Wednesday predicted more intense weather along the Alaskan coastline, where two small villages faced severe destruction from Typhoon Halong’s aftermath. Officials were in a rush to secure accommodations for over 1,500 individuals forced from their homes.

During the weekend, fierce winds and towering waves hit the Alaska Native settlements located on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, roughly 500 miles from Anchorage, causing significant disruption. Numerous agencies employed drones, boats, and aircraft for search and rescue, which concluded on Tuesday evening, according to state troopers.

The Coast Guard successfully evacuated about 24 individuals from their residences. Meanwhile, a substantial number of people found temporary refuge in school shelters, despite some lacking functional sanitation facilities. This adverse weather followed another storm that hit Western Alaska earlier.

Communities Severely Impacted

Over 1,500 residents across the affected area were displaced. Several dozens were transported to a shelter established in Bethel’s National Guard armory, a town accommodating approximately 6,000 people. Authorities were contemplating relocating evacuees to longer-term or emergency stays in cities like Fairbanks and Anchorage.

Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, among the most impacted communities, have populations of 715 and 380, respectively. These villages, not connected to the state’s main roadways, are currently accessible only via waterways or air travel.

Dire Conditions & Swift Responses

"The situation in Kipnuk is disastrous; there's no other way to describe it," stated Mark Roberts, incident commander with the state emergency management. "All possible measures are being taken to aid the community, though the damage is severe."

Brea Paul from Kipnuk recounted the distressing sight of about 20 homes being swept away on a Saturday night. She described signals for help from neighbors that they could not respond to due to the danger.

After that night, Paul captured a video showing a house nearly submerged and floating away. On Monday evening, community members gathered in a school gym to determine subsequent actions, sharing songs as they pondered their next steps.

The departure from familiar faces weighed heavily on residents, as Paul mentioned the heartbreaking absence of certainty over future reunions.

Tragedy struck 30 miles away in Kwigillingok, where one woman's body was found. The local school, accommodating around 400 people, was the only structure with power, but bathroom facilities were non-functional.

Preliminary assessments indicated that every home in the village sustained damage, with about 36 units moved off their bases.

Flooding compromised power systems in Napakiak, and severe ground erosion was reported in Toksook Bay. In Nightmute, officials reported floating fuel barrels, a noticeable gasoline odor, and an oily sheen on waters.

Support and Revival Efforts

The National Guard mobilized to bolster the crisis response, seizing fleeting weather windows to deliver food, water, generators, and communication tools.

Authorities cautioned that recovery would be prolonged, with a pressing need for sustained aid to the worst-impacted locations. The supply logistics for rebuilding are complicated by the advancing winter season.

Rick Thoman, an expert in Alaskan climate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, remarked, "Indigenous Alaskan communities are remarkably resilient, but damage this extensive, compounded by the proximity of winter, presents enormous challenges."

Thoman pointed out that the storm possibly gained strength from elevated Pacific Ocean temperatures, which contribute to storm intensification. Another storm, Typhoon Merbok, inflicted a wide range of damage on Western Alaska three years prior.