Anchorage, AK — Hundreds of residents from western Alaska are being airlifted to safety after ex-Typhoon Halong devastated multiple coastal communities, leaving homes destroyed and utilities damaged across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region.
Evacuation flights operated by the Alaska National Guard continued Thursday aboard C-17 military transport planes, with evacuees boarding from Bethel to Anchorage. Each person was allowed just one suitcase and a small bag of personal belongings.
Mass Evacuations Underway
More than 150 evacuees spent Wednesday night at the Alaska National Guard Readiness Center in Bethel after being rescued from the villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. Others stayed with relatives or in housing arranged by the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation.
By Thursday morning, evacuees lined up to board a second flight to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, where emergency shelters have been established at the Alaska Airlines Center, the Egan Center, and city recreation centers in Spenard and Fairview.
“My emotions are all over the place,” said 19-year-old Dolly Martin, who was traveling with her mother and four siblings to stay with family members.
According to Alaska Beacon, Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said around 2,000 evacuees are expected to arrive by Friday as additional flights continue to bring in displaced residents.
National Guard Completes Kipnuk Evacuation
Lieutenant Colonel Brendan Holbrook, commander of the 207th Aviation Troop Command with the Alaska Army National Guard, confirmed that most residents of Kipnuk have now been safely evacuated.
“Kipnuk is evacuated for everyone that wants to be evacuated,” Holbrook said. “There are about 50 or 100 that stayed behind, that don’t want to come out.”
In Kwigillingok, evacuation efforts are ongoing, with around 75 people scheduled to be picked up Thursday. Holbrook estimated that 200 to 300 residents have chosen to remain in their village despite the damage.
Storm Damage and Tragic Losses
The storm has claimed at least one life — 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok of Kwigillingok — while two of her relatives, Vernon Pavil and Chester Kashatok, remain missing.
Volunteer search teams and village public safety officers with the Association of Village Council Presidents continue to lead local search and rescue efforts under dangerous conditions.
“We’re doing everything we can to locate the missing and support the families affected,” a rescue volunteer said.
Across the region, at least 15 communities have reported “substantial damage,” including widespread flooding, road collapses, damaged boardwalks, and destroyed boats. Emergency response crews have been dispatched to restore power, water, sewer, and gas systems.
State Requests Federal Disaster Declaration
On Thursday, Governor Mike Dunleavy formally requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration from the Trump administration, seeking federal aid to assist in recovery efforts for affected Alaskan communities.
“The scope of destruction in western Alaska is immense,” Dunleavy’s office said. “We’re asking for immediate federal support to rebuild essential infrastructure and ensure displaced families have housing and supplies.”
As temperatures continue to drop across the region, state and local officials are racing to secure temporary shelters and restore basic utilities before winter conditions worsen.
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