Western Alaska flooding damage: Dramatic videos show typhoon's impact in Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Napakiak
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska was among the hardest hit, with severe flooding reported in Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Napakiak.
A typhoon lashed western Alaska over the weekend, unleashing hurricane-force winds and devastating storm surges that swept away homes and left entire communities underwater. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta was among the hardest hit, with severe flooding reported in Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Napakiak.
1 dead, 2 missing in Kwigillingok
The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management confirmed on Monday that an adult woman was found dead in the village of Kwigillingok.
“One adult female was located deceased in Kwigillngok. Troopers responded to recover her remains and are working to notify next of kin. Her name will be released once next of kin has been notified. Two people remain unaccounted for in the community,” authorities said in a statement.
Rescues and widespread displacement
According to CNN, at least 51 people and two dogs have been rescued in Kipnuk and Kwigillingok since the weekend.
In addition, the flooding has displaced over 1,000 residents, who are now staying in emergency shelters.
Kipnuk: Accorsing to the The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, approximately 587 residents were sheltered overnight within the community. The village's runway has been damaged and is currently closed to fixed-wing aircraft. Communication lines are down, and satellite internet is being deployed to restore connectivity.
Kwigillingok: Around 400 people are believed to have taken shelter.
'The worst I’ve ever seen'
Napakiak, another severely affected village, reported catastrophic damage. Jamie Jenkins, 42, a local resident, told the Associated Press the storm was "the worst I’ve ever seen."
Search and rescue operations were conducted Sunday by a multi-agency response team, including the Alaska National Guard, US Army National Guard, Alaska State Troopers, and the US Coast Guard.
'Absolute devastation'
Capt. Christopher Culpepper, commander of US Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and US Arctic, described the conditions in Kipnuk and Kwigillingok as as “absolute devastation."
"Several of these villages have been completely devastated," Culpepper said at a news conference on Monday. "Absolutely flooded, several feet deep, and so this took homes off of foundations. This put people in peril, where folks were swimming, floating, trying to find debris to hold on to in the cover of darkness, at nighttime."
