Typhoon Batters Coastal Alaska: ‘Houses Have Been Swept Away’

Parts of Alaska are experiencing monumental damage after Typhoon Halong battered the coast of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta over the weekend.

In an update on Monday, Oct. 13, Alaska State Troopers said there were “no missing people” after an adult female’s remains were found in Kwigillngok. Her remains have been identified, and the person’s name will be released after the next of kin is identified.

However, in the same update, Alaska State Troopers said “two people remain unaccounted for in the community,” and search and rescue efforts are being coordinated with “the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska Army National Guard and Alaska Air National Guard.”

Approximately 51 others have already been rescued, with the communities of Kipnuk, Kwigillingok and Napakiak being impacted the most heavily, Alaska Public Media reported, citing the Alaska National Guard.

“My team and I are closely tracking Typhoon Halong and the massive flooding and devastation that has resulted across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. We are tracking reports that houses have been swept away and that some Alaskans may have gone missing. We are all praying for the safety of everyone in Western Alaska,” U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said in a statement on the evening of Sunday, Oct. 12.

Sullivan, 60, noted that he’d also been in close contact with FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] local, tribal and state officials ahead of the catastrophic event. 

Earlier Monday, the Alaska State Troopers said that the three people who were still unaccounted for were residents of Kwigillingok.

Two dogs were also rescued from Kipnuk and Kwigillingok.

However, troopers received “secondhand reports” of additional missing people, as the agency worked to confirm information during the active situation. 

“Aerial search assets were deployed at first light on Monday, Oct. 13. The Alaska State Troopers are continuing to coordinate search and rescue efforts with the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska Army National Guard and Alaska Air National Guard,” their statement continued. 

In a separate statement, the government agency said they were continuing to locate and rescue missing or displaced people.

“Both communities experienced strong winds and heavy flooding overnight, which caused significant damage, including at least eight homes being pushed from their foundations,” the Alaska State Troopers said of the “active and ongoing search and rescue mission” brought on by Typhoon Halong.

The wind and flooding caused significant damage, resulting in at least eight homes being pushed from their foundations, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management confirmed in a press release.

Ahead of Typhoon Halong’s arrival, the agency gave notice of a “powerful storm system moving across Western Alaska [that continued] to impact coastal regions.”

Coastal flooding, heavy surf and wind gusts approaching 100 miles per hour along portions of Alaska’s West Coast were forecast.

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Additionally, water levels in the village of Kipnuk rose to 14.5 feet on Sunday, CNN reported.

Anyone in the region who needs non-emergency assistance can contact the State Emergency Operations Center at 907-428-7100, per the Alaska State Troopers.