OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
1:46 PM – Wednesday, October 15, 2025
The remnants of Typhoon Halong, a record-setting storm in western Alaska, have caused significant devastation — with over 1,500 residents displaced, at least one person confirmed dead, and two others still missing.
As of Wednesday, authorities confirmed one fatality — a woman from Kwigillingok — and reported that two individuals, Vernon Pavil, 71, and Chester Kashatok, 41, both also from Kwigillingok, remain missing.
On Sunday, a coastal storm migrated into the Bering Sea, bringing hurricane-force winds (up to 107 mph) and major coastal flooding for the communities south of the Bering Strait — which were already recovering from a previous storm.
With the storm displacing over 1,500 people along Alaska’s coast, many are still seeking temporary refuge in schools in the villages of Kwigillingok and Kipnuk, while officials work to secure more suitable accommodations.
Additionally, state and federal authorities have since launched search and rescue missions, saving at least 51 people and two dogs from the villages. These rescues were primarily carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska National Guard — who utilized aircraft to reach the affected communities.
According to the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Salvation Army, the Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), and the Red Cross are also collaborating on strategies to distribute more food and supplies to those seeking shelter.
Nonetheless, local officials have warned of a long period of recovery, and U.S. Coast Guard Captain Christopher Culpepper notably described the situation as “absolute devastation.”
A Coastal Flood Warning was in effect through Monday for the coastal area. The National Weather Service reported water in Kipnuk had climbed “6.6 feet above the normal high-tide level,” breaking the record set in 2000 by nearly two feet.
Governor Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska) released a disaster declaration on October 9th in response to a powerful storm that impacted communities along the state’s west coast. The declaration was later expanded on October 12th to encompass additional areas affected by the remnants of Typhoon Halong.
“I have expanded the disaster declaration to include area of the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta impacted by last night’s storm. Kipnuk and Kwigillingok have been hard hit and rescue aircraft from that Alaska National Guard and USCG are on the way. Every effort will be made to help those hit by this storm. Help is on the way,” the governor said in a statement.
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