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hundreds of remote residents alaska Local villages are being evacuated by air after a storm swept through low-lying areas over the weekend, destroying homes and killing at least one person. Two others are missing.
In one of the most significant airlifts in Alaska’s history, hundreds of people were being flown nearly 500 miles (800 kilometers). anchorageAfter sheltering in place in the regional center city of betel It was filled with dozens of displaced persons.
Here are some things to know about the storm and the ongoing evacuation effort.
What happened?
The remnants of Typhoon Halong brought record rainfall to western Alaska on Sunday, devastating the small coastal villages of Kipnuk and Quigilingok, where water levels were seen more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) above the highest normal tide line.
In Quigilingoc, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued two dozen people from their homes as buildings were being swept away by high water. Ella Mae Kashatok, 67, was found dead in Quigilingoc, and authorities called off the search for two people – Chester Kashatok, 41, and Vernon Pavil, 71 – on Monday night after their home was washed away.
Officials said Thursday that 121 homes were destroyed in Kipnuk, but all occupants had been located.
who lives there?
Kipnuk and Quigilingok villages are adjacent to it. Bering Sea And according to Census Bureau data, their total population is about 1,000 people, almost all of whom identify as Alaska Native or American Indian.
They are far from the state’s main road system and are accessible only by water or air at this time of the year.
A video from Kipnuk shows a house floating and people on the ground speaking the Central Alaska Yup’ik language, Alaska’s largest native language. There are approximately 10,000 speakers of this language in 68 villages in Southwest Alaska.
How are the evacuation efforts going?
About 1,600 people are housed in 13 shelters set up in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwest Alaska, officials said. Officials are hoping to move the evacuees into hotel rooms or hostels.
About 300 people were evacuated Wednesday from the damaged villages to Anchorage, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) east, according to the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Officials said they were headed to the Alaska Airlines Center, a sports and events complex that seats about 400 people.
Shelter at Bethel, which was established National Guard The arsenal was already facing difficulties, with food supplies “near consumption,” FEMA officials said in a briefing report Thursday. Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp. warned Wednesday that the shelter at the armory would have to close.
How difficult will it be to rebuild?
Damage assessments are still ongoing, but experts say the hardest-hit communities are facing a dire situation.
Most construction materials will need to be transported or shipped by air, and with winter fast approaching, time is running short.
Emergency officials said some homes were beyond repair and unsafe to return to despite emergency repairs.