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Halong’s Remnants Leave Western Alaska in Crisis as More Than 1,500 Face 18-Month Displacement

A federal disaster request seeks aid for remote villages where winter will stall rebuilding.

Overview

  • Gov. Mike Dunleavy asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster to unlock federal assistance for the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta.
  • Preliminary assessments indicate catastrophic housing losses, including about 90% of structures in Kipnuk and roughly one-third in Kwigillingok.
  • State officials estimate more than 1,500 residents have been evacuated to hubs such as Bethel and Anchorage, with the Alaska National Guard airlifting over 600 people.
  • Infrastructure damage spans more than 50 community airports and roads, complicating access for supplies and slowing emergency repairs.
  • One death has been confirmed and two people are missing, as experts note a limited 36-hour forecast window and unusually warm Pacific waters that intensified the storm.