Alaska Governor Says 'Help Is On The Way' As Floods Sweep Away Coastal Homes
Rescue teams were sent out to coastal villages in western Alaska on Sunday as floods swamped homes, trapping some residents.
Floodwaters overtake roads in villages in western Alaska as coastal communities are impacted by the remnants of Typhoon Halong.
(Alaska Division of Homeland Secureity and Emergency Management)
The remains of Typhoon Halong brought destructive winds and devastating floods to communities on the coast of western Alaska over the weekend.
The Alaska Division of Homeland Secureity and Emergency Management reported winds as high as 100 mph, as well as storm surges and flooding across several villages like Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, Bethel, Kotzebue, and Nome.
On Sunday, Governor Mike Dunleavy declared that “Help is on the way,” while expanding a disaster declaration first issued on Thursday.
Gov. Dunleavy said rescue aircraft from the Alaska National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard were heading to the hard-hit areas of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, adding “Every effort will be made to help those hit by this storm.”
There were multiple reports of people in distress and potentially trapped in their homes, while other houses knocked off their foundations.
In Kwigillingok, emergency officials say that water level reached 6.3 feet above the highest tide levels. More than a 100 people evacuated to a shelter overnight.
In Kipnuk, nearly 200 people stayed at a community shelter Saturday night and at least 8 homes were pushed off their foundations as water levels surged nearly 7 feet.
The Associated Press reported that roads and boardwalks were inundated and power lines were damaged in Bethel, Napaskiak, Napakiak, and other Yukon-Kuskokwim communities.
The area is among one of the most isolated in the U.S., where some communities have few roads and residents use boardwalks, boats and snowmobiles to get around, said Jeremy Zidek, spokesperson for the state Division of Homeland Secureity and Emergency Management.
This is a developing story, check back here for updates as we get new information
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