Communities across Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta are facing widespread devastation after the remnants of Typhoon Halong tore through the region earlier this month, bringing hurricane-force winds, driving rain, and powerful storm surges to one of the state’s most isolated areas.
At least one person has died, and more than 1,500 residents have been displaced in what officials are calling one of the most destructive weather events to hit western Alaska in decades. The storm’s impact has prompted a massive relief effort as winter rapidly approaches.
‘It’s Catastrophic in Kipnuk’
Among the hardest-hit communities are Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where officials say every single home suffered damage. “It’s catastrophic in Kipnuk,” said Mark Roberts, an incident commander with Alaska’s emergency management agency. “Let’s not paint any other picture.”
In both villages, residents took shelter in local schools — some with limited power, non-functioning toilets, and no clean water. Emergency workers described chaotic scenes as homes were swept from their foundations. “The folks that were in houses that were floating and didn’t know where they were — that was one of the most tragic things our teams have ever faced,” Roberts told reporters.
With roads washed out and airports flooded, authorities have launched one of the largest airlifts in Alaska’s history to evacuate families and deliver supplies. Relief crews are now shifting from search-and-rescue to the painstaking task of restoring basic services in the storm-battered region.
A Crisis Years in the Making
Experts have warned for years that Native villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta — particularly Kipnuk — are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. A 2022 report by the Alaska Institute for Justice identified the community’s relocation as an “urgent need,” citing rising sea levels and thawing permafrost as major threats.
“As the permafrost thaws, it becomes this gooey mess,” explained Tom Ravens, a civil engineering professor at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. “It’s like trying to build on quicksand — it puts homes and infrastructure at real risk of collapsing after any major storm.”
The ground that once served as a solid foundation for homes, roads, and water systems is now destabilizing under the pressure of climate change, leaving these communities dangerously exposed to extreme weather.
Leaders Call for Long-Term Resilience
Governor Mike Dunleavy and Alaska’s congressional delegation — including Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan — have pledged to secure federal funding for climate resilience and infrastructure rebuilding. “This is about protecting our people and their way of life,” Murkowski said during a joint press conference.
As emergency teams continue to assess the damage, many residents remain uncertain about their future. For some villages, rebuilding may no longer be viable. For others, the storm has underscored a grim reality: the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat — it’s already reshaping life along Alaska’s coast.
