In Alaska, a massive airlift began on Wednesday to move hundreds of residents from coastal villages that were wrecked by high surf and strong winds from the remnants of Typhoon Halong.
The storm knocked water levels to record highs in two low‑lying communities and washed away dozens of homes, some still occupied when the waves hit. At least one person died and two others remain missing. People who were suddenly left homeless poured into hastily‑built shelters, swelling the numbers to roughly 1,500 – a huge surge for a state where many towns are only reachable by air or water.
Because the area is remote and the damage extensive, getting supplies and help to the villages takes longer than usual. First responders moved from search‑and‑rescue into stabilizing essential services. The U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska National Guard flew residents out of Kayu and Kwigillingok, where water topped two feet above the usual tide line. Leaders in those villages asked the state to evacuate the more than 1,000 people who live there.
“It’s about keeping people safe, warm, and cared for while we restore basic services,” said Mark Roberts, the incident commander for state emergency management. When a temporary school restroom in Kwigillingok became operational, officials noted that many homes were too damaged for safe return and that the area might not be livable through the winter. Cooler temperatures are expected over the weekend, with rain or snow possible, driving average temperatures below freezing.
Digging deeper into the disaster, roughly 300 evacuees were flown to Anchorage, 500 miles east of the storm’s impact zone, where they were housed in the Alaska Airlines Center – a sports and events complex capable of holding 400 people. Other shelters, like those near Bethel – a regional hub in southwest Alaska – are already near full capacity. Officials said they were looking for more sites so residents can gradually move from congregate shelters to hotels or dormitories.
Alaska’s crisis highlights the fallout from Trump‑era cuts to grants meant to help small, largely Indigenous communities prepare for storms. The Department of Education’s $20 million grant to Kipnuk for flood‑control and erosion reduction, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, was terminated mid‑project. The village had bought a bulldozer for the job and had a bookkeeper on board, but nothing came to fruition before the funding stopped. Environmental groups have sued to restore the grant, arguing that the money was intended to protect local residents and help communities adapt to climate change.
Jill Habig, CEO of Public Rights Project, said, “When the $20 million grant was pulled, people lost a vital investment in their safety and future.” She added that few individual projects could have prevented the recent floods, but work to clear abandoned fuel tanks and debris from rivers could have been started during the 2025 construction season.
Today’s evacuation and rescue efforts show how quickly nature can upend isolated Alaskan towns. As crews continue to move people to safer locations and work to restore services, the state’s disaster response plans are under close scrutiny, underscoring how vital continued federal support is for the region’s resilience.
Source: New York Post
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