JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — More rain and wind were forecast Wednesday along the Alaskan coast where two tiny villages were decimated by the remnants of Typhoon Halong, and officials scrambled to find shelter for over 1,500 individuals forced from their homes.
The weekend storm unleashed high winds and surf on the low-lying Alaska Native communities along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwestern Alaska, nearly 500 miles from Anchorage. Tragedy struck with one reported death and two individuals missing. The Coast Guard rescued two dozen residents caught in their homes as they floated away into the sea.
Hundreds of evacuees have taken refuge in school shelters, including one facility the officials acknowledged has no functioning toilets. This weather event followed another storm that recently impacted areas of western Alaska.
Among the hardest-hit areas were Kipnuk, which has a population of 715, and Kwigillingok with 380 residents. Given their isolated locations, reaching these communities is only possible through air or water this time of year.
“It’s catastrophic in Kipnuk. Let’s not paint any other picture,” remarked Mark Roberts, incident commander for the state emergency management division during a press conference on Tuesday. “We are sparing no effort to further support that community; the devastation is as dire as imaginable.”
Heartbreaking accounts emerge from residents like Brea Paul, from Kipnuk, who witnessed about 20 houses float away under moonlight on Saturday night. Describing the anguish, she mentioned, “Some houses blinked their phone lights at us like they were asking for help, but we couldn’t do anything.”
The following day, Paul recorded a video of a submerged house drifting near hers. In a local school gym, she and neighbors held a meeting, trying to figure out their next steps while grappling with the heart-wrenching farewells to fellow community members.
A woman was found deceased in Kwigillingok as we entered Monday night, and search efforts for two additional individuals were suspended after their home washed away. The community school, functioning as an emergency shelter, was overwhelmed with 400 occupants, yet lacking basic amenities.
A preliminary assessment indicated that every home in Kwigillingok was compromised, with about three dozen completely detached from their foundations. Throughout wider regions, severe erosion and utility failures were reported.
The National Guard has been mobilized to aid emergency responders, working to deliver essential supplies in any gap available in the turbulent weather.
Looking toward the future, officials acknowledged a challenging recovery process ahead, emphasizing the importance of ongoing support for these afflicted communities. Many construction supplies will need to be transported, and with winter fast approaching, urgency is mounting.
Rick Thoman, a climate specialist, reminded us of the resilience in Indigenous communities. However, he cautioned that once nearly every house is damaged as colder weather sets in, options become quite limited. “The ongoing impacts of climate change are inevitably intensifying storm systems like these,” he stated, drawing connections with past calamities in the state.
The weekend storm unleashed high winds and surf on the low-lying Alaska Native communities along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwestern Alaska, nearly 500 miles from Anchorage. Tragedy struck with one reported death and two individuals missing. The Coast Guard rescued two dozen residents caught in their homes as they floated away into the sea.
Hundreds of evacuees have taken refuge in school shelters, including one facility the officials acknowledged has no functioning toilets. This weather event followed another storm that recently impacted areas of western Alaska.
Among the hardest-hit areas were Kipnuk, which has a population of 715, and Kwigillingok with 380 residents. Given their isolated locations, reaching these communities is only possible through air or water this time of year.
“It’s catastrophic in Kipnuk. Let’s not paint any other picture,” remarked Mark Roberts, incident commander for the state emergency management division during a press conference on Tuesday. “We are sparing no effort to further support that community; the devastation is as dire as imaginable.”
Heartbreaking accounts emerge from residents like Brea Paul, from Kipnuk, who witnessed about 20 houses float away under moonlight on Saturday night. Describing the anguish, she mentioned, “Some houses blinked their phone lights at us like they were asking for help, but we couldn’t do anything.”
The following day, Paul recorded a video of a submerged house drifting near hers. In a local school gym, she and neighbors held a meeting, trying to figure out their next steps while grappling with the heart-wrenching farewells to fellow community members.
A woman was found deceased in Kwigillingok as we entered Monday night, and search efforts for two additional individuals were suspended after their home washed away. The community school, functioning as an emergency shelter, was overwhelmed with 400 occupants, yet lacking basic amenities.
A preliminary assessment indicated that every home in Kwigillingok was compromised, with about three dozen completely detached from their foundations. Throughout wider regions, severe erosion and utility failures were reported.
The National Guard has been mobilized to aid emergency responders, working to deliver essential supplies in any gap available in the turbulent weather.
Looking toward the future, officials acknowledged a challenging recovery process ahead, emphasizing the importance of ongoing support for these afflicted communities. Many construction supplies will need to be transported, and with winter fast approaching, urgency is mounting.
Rick Thoman, a climate specialist, reminded us of the resilience in Indigenous communities. However, he cautioned that once nearly every house is damaged as colder weather sets in, options become quite limited. “The ongoing impacts of climate change are inevitably intensifying storm systems like these,” he stated, drawing connections with past calamities in the state.
