Rescue crews in Alaska airlifted hundreds of people out of remote villages devastated by remnants of Typhoon Halong last weekend, as authorities worked to shelter survivors and restore power and water services to hard-hit communities.
The storm brought damaging winds and a powerful surge of water over 6 feet high to the state’s western coast, according to the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Hundreds were displaced as the water pushed homes off their foundations and into the sea.
One woman in the rural village of Kwigillingok was killed and two people remain missing, the state’s emergency management agency said Wednesday, Oct. 15, as it shifted from a rescue mission to a recovery effort.In the aftermath of the storm, officials launched one of the state’s largest rescue missions in recent history. On Oct. 15, Alaska National Guard troops airlifted 300 residents from a shelter in Bethel that had reached capacity. Survivors were taken to warm shelters in Anchorage and other cities that avoided the worst impacts of the storm.“We’ve confirmed that a number of homes cannot be reoccupied, even with emergency repairs, and that infrastructure has been compromised in several communities,” said Mark Roberts, a commander at the State Emergency Operations Center, in a news story on the National Guard’s website.
“Our focus now is making sure people are safe, warm, and cared for while we work with our partners to restore essential services,» he added.Alaska governor says Trump is monitoring the situation
The hardest-hit parts of the state were in the remote communities of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, which have a combined population of about 1,150 people. Residents whose homes were destroyed evacuated to Bethel, the largest city in western Alaska, but shelters quickly filled up, requiring hundreds of people to be moved elsewhere.
The ongoing rescue operations were being carried out using multiple Blackhawk helicopters and other military aircraft. Along with the state’s National Guard, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Alaska Organized Militia, the Red Cross and the U.S. Coast Guard were participating in the rescue effort.Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said on X that President Donald Trump was monitoring the situation. Dunleavy pledged to help those displaced by the storm, writing «more help is on the way.»
Airlifts to continue for several days, Red Cross says
The American Red Cross said the storm forced the evacuation of as many as 2,000 people and damaged critical infrastructure, including roads, communication lines and air and seaport facilities.Hundreds of Red Cross workers were deployed to Bethel and Anchorage to support residents whose homes were destroyed. The nonprofit also pledged to assist villagers without power or running water, especially those whose food has spoiled at the start of the winter season.
«This could be a prolonged relief operation lasting months as villages have been left inaccessible or unlivable as winter sets in,» the Red Cross said in a statement, adding that air evacuations are «expected to continue for several days.»