Alaska Faces Massive Evacuation After Typhoon Halong

Airlift evacuation continues in Alaska after Typhoon Halong

Typhoon Halong causes devastation

State government requests federal aid

According to EFE, hundreds of people continued to be evacuated by air on Friday in western Alaska, where a series of storms linked to Typhoon Halong devastated entire communities and forced the state government to request emergency federal assistance.

Local authorities reported that extreme weather conditions mainly affected the Yukon and Kuskokwim River deltas, where winds exceeded 160 kilometers per hour and storm surges flooded several coastal towns.

Typhoon Halong, which formed on October 5 in the northern Philippine Sea, left a trail of destruction across the North Pacific before striking Alaska with torrential rains and waves up to two meters high.

The damage has been so severe that Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a state disaster declaration and requested that the White House approve a federal emergency to send additional resources and funds.

Communities isolated by Typhoon Halong storms

#International | Major airlift evacuation in Alaska continues after storms from Typhoon Halong https://t.co/ETyE9F68yk@realDonaldTrump @ADEstadosUnidos pic.twitter.com/0YEmX9LNDK

— El Informador Santa Marta (@ElInformador_SM) October 17, 2025

Between October 9 and 13, Alaska’s western coast was battered by the remnants of the typhoon, affecting nearly 50 communities — most of them tribal and extremely remote.

Many towns became completely isolated due to flooding, landslides, and the destruction of airstrips, complicating aid delivery and forcing authorities to mobilize the National Guard.

Official data indicates that at least 600 people were airlifted to Anchorage, the state capital, in what is already considered one of the largest air evacuations in Alaska’s recent history.

Local officials explained that nearby shelters collapsed under the scale of the emergency, forcing the relocation of evacuees to larger facilities with better resources.

State government requests federal aid

Alaska Faces Massive Evacuation After Typhoon Halong – PHOTO: EFE

Governor Dunleavy asked President Donald Trump to issue a federal emergency declaration to channel federal resources for rescue, reconstruction, and aid to displaced residents.

As of Friday, the White House had not issued a formal response to the request, prompting Alaska senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, along with Congressman Nick Begich, to send a joint letter urging the president to act “immediately.”

“The conditions in many of these communities exceed those of Typhoon Merbok in 2022,” the lawmakers warned, referring to the event that affected more than 2,100 kilometers of coastline and destroyed 35 remote villages just two years ago.

The federal representatives noted that many towns had not yet fully rebuilt or received all promised aid from the previous disaster, meaning the impact of Typhoon Halong is deepening existing vulnerabilities.

Airlift evacuation in Alaska marks historic record

#Breaking | Aerial images reveal the devastation caused by Typhoon Halong’s remnants in western Alaska. The sea breached levees and natural barriers, flooding communities such as Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. Authorities confirmed one death and multiple injuries… pic.twitter.com/xTkA3pACty

— Panorama Sin Reservas 620 AM (@sinreservas620) October 17, 2025

Preliminary reports detail severe damage to homes, businesses, utilities, and airstrips, as well as the loss of fuel storage facilities and food distribution centers after the passage of Typhoon Halong.

The Yukon and Kuskokwim delta communities were the hardest hit, with flooding submerging entire villages and leaving hundreds of families without electricity.

State officials estimate that reconstruction could take several months and that costs will surpass those recorded after Typhoon Merbok — previously one of the costliest natural disasters in Alaska’s history.

Authorities continue assessing the hardest-hit areas through aerial surveys and rescue missions, while emergency crews distribute water, food, and medical supplies.

Lawmakers push for immediate response

Senators Murkowski and Sullivan emphasized that the storms have damaged critical infrastructure such as power plants, drinking water systems, and fuel supply points — threatening the survival of rural communities during the harsh winter.

“The situation requires a rapid and sustained federal response to prevent a humanitarian crisis,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter.

Meanwhile, evacuation efforts continue, and more communities are expected to request assistance in the coming days.

Typhoon Halong has left a devastating mark on Alaska, exposing the fragility of coastal towns in the face of extreme weather events and the growing impact of climate change in the planet’s northernmost regions.