ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Damage to remote Alaska villages hammered by last weekend’s flooding is so extensive that many of the more than 2,000 displaced residents may not return home for at least 18 months, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a request to the White House for a major disaster declaration.
Communities Wiped Out
In one of the hardest-hit villages, Kipnuk, an initial assessment showed that 121 homes—about 90%—were destroyed. In Kwigillingok, more than a third of the residences are uninhabitable after three dozen houses floated away.
The remnants of Typhoon Halong slammed western Alaska with winds comparable to a Category 2 hurricane, sending powerful surges of seawater across the flat tundra. One person died, two remain missing, and rescue crews pulled dozens from flooded homes as waves carried them downstream.
Massive Evacuations Underway
Officials have been scrambling to airlift residents from isolated Alaska Native villages. More than 2,000 people across the region have taken shelter in schools or been flown to Anchorage by military aircraft.
Anchorage leaders said Friday they expect as many as 1,600 evacuees. So far, the Alaska National Guard has transported about 575 people to the city, where they are staying in a sports arena and convention center. Additional flights were scheduled through the weekend.
Authorities are now working to move evacuees into hotels and long-term housing. “Due to time, distance, geography and weather, many survivors will be unable to return home this winter,” Dunleavy said. “Some damaged communities simply won’t be viable to support winter occupancy in America’s harshest climate.”
Appeal for Federal Aid
The federal government has already been assisting with search and rescue, environmental response and damage assessments. A disaster declaration from President Donald Trump could unlock emergency funds for both individuals and infrastructure repairs. Alaska’s congressional delegation also urged swift approval in a joint letter to the president.
Lives Uprooted
The storm surge pummeled a region so remote it lacks road connections; many communities are reachable only by plane or boat. These villages—home to hundreds of subsistence hunters and fishers—now face the daunting reality of relocation.
Alexie Stone of Kipnuk arrived in Anchorage aboard a military jet with his brothers, children and mother after their home was swept away. “We’re starting a new life here in Anchorage,” he said. “It’s going to be about finding a place and a job.”
‘We Will Welcome Our Neighbors’
Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance vowed that the city will do everything possible to support evacuees. “Our neighbors in western Alaska have experienced tremendous loss and grief,” she said. “We will welcome them and help them through these difficult times.”
State Rep. Nellie Unangiq Jimmie of Toksook Bay described enduring 100-mph winds with her daughter and niece. “We had no choice but to sit in our home and wait to see if it would come off the foundation,” she said. “You are showing my people that even far from home, this is still Alaska land and they’re among family.”
Unprecedented Flooding and Record Surges
According to meteorologist David Kramer of the National Weather Service, water levels in Kipnuk rose 6.6 feet above the normal high-tide mark—nearly two feet higher than the previous record in 2000. The surge in Kwigillingok broke records as well.
Capt. Christopher Culpepper of the U.S. Coast Guard compared the devastation to Hurricane Katrina, saying some villages were “completely flooded, several feet deep,” and that families “were swimming, trying to find debris to cling to in the darkness.”
Rescue and Relief Efforts Continue
Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, head of the Alaska National Guard, said every available Guard member in Western Alaska has been activated, calling the operation “the largest off-road-system response in about 45 years.” Nonprofits including the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and World Central Kitchen are coordinating food and shelter support.
Climate Concerns Grow
Scientists say Alaska’s warming trend is intensifying coastal storms. Meteorologist Rick Thoman noted that warmer ocean temperatures likely strengthened Halong before it reached Alaska. State Sen. Lyman Hoffman added, “There has been more and more warming disrupting lives in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta over the last 25 years.”
As winter approaches, thousands of displaced residents face an uncertain future—many wondering if they will ever return to their flooded villages.
