Over the weekend of October 11th, and 12th, thousands of Alaskan residents along the western coast were slammed by the remnants of Typhoon Halong. The one super typhoon dipped below typhoon level strength, but still packed a powerful punch as it battered the coastline.

Nearly 100 mile per hour winds were recorded and storm surge swept homes off their foundations, leading to one of the most significant airlifts in Alaskan history as coastal villages were evacuated.

The communities of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok saw water levels more than 6 feet above their highest tide cycles.

Multiple shelters across the state have been opened for those whose lives have been impacted by the storm, but many of the communities are not accessible by roads and can only be reached via boat or airplane, making it a challenge for relief work to be done in the area. Local officials said even with emergency repairs many homes will not be livable by winter.

More than 1000 residents have been evacuated to various locations. Evacuees have been taken to Anchorage, but the trip is over 500 miles away, and while some shelters closer to home like Bethel, AK are open, they have already reached capacity.

We spoke with multiple organizations assisting with the relief efforts to learn more on what the disaster relief looks like, and the challenges they face to help these communities recover.

WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN:

This is the second time WCK has responded to typhoon flooding in Alaska. In 2022, the remnants of Typhoon Merbok pounded Alaska's western coast, affecting 21,000 people during the peak of hunting and gathering season. Together with local groups, WCK delivered fresh food and water to families in need. 

Our teams are flying across the flood-devastated regions of western Alaska to provide dry goods and warm meals to communities in need. WCK teams are working to find and care for as many of these areas as we can.

You can learn more on how to help the World Central Kitchen's mission via their website.

AMERICAN RED CROSS:

Hundreds of Red Cross disaster workers from across the country are being deployed to support local residents. This could be a prolonged relief operation lasting months as villages have been left inaccessible or unlivable as winter sets in. The Red Cross will also support people in these villages in addition to the relief operation with evacuees in Anchorage.

Donations can be made to the American Red Cross via their website, or by texting the word "REDCROSS" to 90999.