Western Alaska communities assess destruction after Typhoon Halong

Residents in western Alaska are sharing images and updates after the remnants of Typhoon Halong brought hurricane-force winds and severe flooding to coastal villages on Oct. 12, according to the Alaska Beacon. The storm, with gusts reaching up to 107 mph, caused extensive damage in the Kuskokwim Delta and Bering Sea communities, according to local residents.

“Several houses floated miles inland — some with people still inside,” Jacqui Lang of Kipnuk wrote on Facebook. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 51 residents from Kwigillingok and Kipnuk, where one woman was killed, two people remain missing and more than 1,000 were displaced. Emergency crews are working to restore power, repair runways and evacuate residents to Bethel as floodwaters recede, according to the Alaska Beacon.