Major airlift evacuations in Alaska after remnants of typhoon decimate villages

"Authorities in Alaska are evacuating hundreds from villages on the state's south-west coast that were inundated by the remnants of a typhoon last weekend, in one of the most significant airlifts in the state's history. Over the weekend, the remnants of Typhoon Halong hit remote communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, in the south-western part of the state, decimating two small villages and displacing more than 1,500 people."

"The hardest-hit communities included Kipnuk, population 715, and Kwigillingok, population 380. Shelter conditions in both communities were rough, Alaska Public Media reported, and local authorities had asked the state to evacuate residents. At the Kwigillingok school, where many residents had taken refuge, toilets were not working, Buggy Carl, a Kipnuk tribal administrator, told APM. In Kipnuk, power and telecommunications were spotty. About 300 evacuees were being brought to Anchorage, hundreds of miles from the battered communities, according to Alaska's department of military and veterans affairs."

"But local authorities acknowledged not all residents would be willing to evacuate. Jeremy Zidek, the emergency management office spokesperson, could not say on Wednesday evening where exactly those evacuees were from. He said some people in the affected communities might choose to stay back or to stay with others. Shelter space in the south-west Alaska regional hub of Bethel had been reaching capacity, officials said."

Remnants of Typhoon Halong struck the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, inundating south-west coastal villages and displacing more than 1,500 people. Two small villages, Kipnuk (population 715) and Kwigillingok (population 380), were among the hardest hit, with rough shelter conditions, nonfunctioning school toilets, and spotty power and telecommunications. About 300 evacuees were flown to Anchorage while regional shelter capacity in Bethel neared limits. Emergency officials said some residents may choose to remain or stay with others. The storm produced hurricane-force winds and raised the tide line about 6 feet (1.8 meters) above normal, causing catastrophic damage in Kipnuk.

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