Typhoon Halong Devastates Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Communities | JQJO

Typhoon Halong battered Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim delta, damaging up to 15 villages. In Kipnuk, state officials estimate 90% of homes destroyed; nearly all 700 residents were evacuated. Record tides and 107 mph winds swept away houses; 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok died and two relatives are missing. The storm exposed deepening climate risks and reignited aid disputes: Kipnuk’s $20m EPA erosion grant was canceled; FEMA funds unlocked by a disaster declaration haven’t arrived; officials urged a coordinated response. Amid grief, volunteers worked to restore power, evacuees reunited with pets, and experts urged tribes be central in recovery talks.