Thousands of evacuees face 18-month exile after typhoon flattens Alaska villages
Last weekend’s storm surges from Typhoon Halong battered remote Alaskan Native villages, sending a high surf into the low-lying region.
Thousands of displaced Alaskans will likely be unable to return to their homes for at least 18 months, according to Alaska's governor.
Last weekend’s storm surges and extreme flooding from Typhoon Halong battered remote Alaskan Native villages, sending a high surf into the low-lying region. These communities are located off the state’s main road system and are only reachable by air and water at this time of year. The villages typically have only a few hundred residents, who rely on hunting and fishing for a significant portion of their food supply.
An assessment of Kipnuk, one of the hardest-hit villages, showed that 121 homes —around 90% —were destroyed, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a request to the White House for a major disaster declaration.
In another village, Kwigillingok, three dozen homes were washed away, and slightly over one-third of the residences are deemed uninhabitable.
One person was killed, two remain missing, and rescue crews rescued dozens of people from their homes as they were washed away.
A mass evacuation effort began on Wednesday, marking one of the most significant airlifts in Alaskan history.
More than 2,000 people across the region have taken shelter in various places, such as schools in their villages, in southwest Alaska, or they've been evacuated by military planes to Anchorage, Alaska.
Officials in Anchorage said Friday that they expect up to 1,600 evacuees to arrive. So far, 575 were airlifted to the city by the Alaska National Guard and are currently staying in a sports arena and convention center. More flights are expected to arrive on Friday and Saturday.
Next steps include how to move the displaced people from shelters and into short-term housing, and then long-term housing.
“Due to the time, space, distance, geography, and weather in the affected areas, it is likely that many survivors will be unable to return to their communities this winter,” Dunleavy said. “Agencies are prioritizing rapid repairs ... but it is likely that some damaged communities will not be viable to support winter occupancy, in America’s harshest climate in the U.S. Arctic.”
The federal government has already started to assist with search and rescue efforts, as well as assess damages, and provide environmental response and evacuation support.
Three members of Alaska’s congressional delegation sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, urging him to declare a major disaster. The president’s declaration could provide federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure, including money for emergency and permanent work.
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