In a deeply distressing turn of events, hundreds of individuals were urgently relocated from the storm-stricken village of Kipnuk in Western Alaska on Wednesday. Residents were instructed to pack only a single bag and swiftly leave their homes as devastating weather wreaked havoc on the Yukon-Kuskokwim region over the previous weekend. This mass evacuation is a significant event, underlining the severity of the situation.
Another community, Kwigillingok, which is a Yup’ik village with around 400 residents, also confirmed a similar evacuation by Wednesday night, according to statements released by officials at the state’s Emergency Operations Center. This situation is crucial, as it reflects one of the most extensive airlift operations in Alaska’s emergency response history. In a coordinated effort, the Alaska National Guard, alongside other agencies, utilized helicopters and a large C-17 Globemaster III military transport plane to transport over 300 evacuees to shelters in Bethel and Anchorage, located hundreds of miles away, ensuring they receive necessary aid and security.
Authorities note that hundreds of individuals who were displaced from both Kipnuk and Kwigillingok are receiving assistance at an American Red Cross shelter in Anchorage. The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center has been inundated with requests for non-critical evacuations, as reported in an update on Wednesday evening. The storm's impact has rendered numerous homes unlivable and caused utilities to fail across many communities, displacing more than 1,000 residents. According to the Alaska State Emergency Operations Center's situation report, over 1,300 residents were sheltered in schools across eight different communities by Tuesday evening.
Kipnuk, a Yup’ik community with a population of about 700 located near the coast of the Bering Sea, experienced the most severe damage from the storm, a scenario mirrored by Kwigillingok, positioned at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River. Tragically, this storm has already resulted in at least one fatality and left two individuals unaccounted for in Kwigillingok. Alaska State Troopers disclosed that three family members were last seen in a house that was swept away toward the Bering Sea due to unprecedented tidal surges.
The body of 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok was recovered on Monday; however, Vernon Pavil, aged 71, and Chester Kashatok, aged 41, remain missing. The search for the floating house is extensive, covering an area of about 88 square miles, as per the reports from emergency officials. On Tuesday, authorities announced that the active search efforts by military aircraft for the missing men had been temporarily halted. The Association of Village Council Presidents indicated on Wednesday that local public safety officers, volunteers, and community members continue to participate in the ongoing recovery efforts utilizing drag bars, sonar technology, and coordinated search operations.
In Kipnuk, it was reported that around 600 residents had stayed at a school shelter for several nights. On Wednesday, they were informed that they needed to vacate the premises, according to several local residents. Despite the dire situation, state officials clarified that there were no mandatory evacuation orders issued. Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, noted that while no formal orders have been set in place, both Kipnuk and Kwigillingok have requested assistance from the state and the Alaska National Guard for a comprehensive evacuation of their communities.
There are plans for some evacuees to be transported to Anchorage, with the University of Alaska Anchorage preparing to house up to 300 displaced individuals in the Alaska Airlines Center on its campus, as stated by the American Red Cross. Authorities are ensuring that those coming to Anchorage will receive beds, food, emergency assistance, emotional support, and health services. Katie Bender, the marketing and communications director at UAA, indicated that people were expected to arrive in Anchorage on Wednesday evening, but the exact number of arriving residents, or from which villages they are evacuating, remains uncertain.
As of Tuesday evening, shelters were accommodating hundreds of individuals across several villages, including 400 in Kwigillingok, 50 in Napakiak, 109 in Nightmute, 70 in Tuntutuliak, 50 in Chefornak, and 30 in Nunam Iqua, according to the state’s situation report released on Wednesday. The storm has caused extensive damage, with nearly all homes in Kipnuk affected, which is located about 98 miles southwest of Bethel. As identified in reports from the emergency operations center, conditions were worsening at the local school where many people were sheltering. The community has requested more drinking water and assistance with a failing school generator. Additionally, the National Weather Service has warned of another, albeit weaker, storm expected to roll into the region by late Wednesday night.
On Wednesday, officials visited the remaining residents at the school to enforce a mandatory evacuation, as described in videos shared by Buggy Carl, a local resident and emergency response official. Carl captured the emotional state of the community, expressing that "people are hurting" and depicting the widespread tears and despair. He conveyed understanding of their pain but stressed that their safety is the utmost priority.
Jacqui Lang, a teacher at the Chief Paul Memorial School in Kipnuk, reported that many residents are reluctant to evacuate. They have been required to leave their pets and nearly all of their belongings. "Evacuation is no longer optional," she stated, adding that officials have determined the school is unsafe for continued sheltering.
Large Black Hawk helicopters, along with smaller private planes, have been employed for the evacuations. Lang has been organizing with a Bethel-based pet rescue initiative to retrieve animals left behind in the village, using duct-tape collars marked with owner information to reconnect pets with their families should an airlift for them be arranged. Bethel Friends of Canines mentioned on their social media page that they are collaborating with teachers in Kipnuk to help relocate pets, with some animals being transported by private pilots or by boat to nearby villages such as Chefornak, where they can access scheduled flights to Bethel more rapidly.
In updates provided on Wednesday evening, state officials emphasized that while the primary focus is on evacuating people, steps are being taken to coordinate rescues and support for stranded and displaced animals as well. "People are devastated," Lang reiterated. "They don’t want to leave with such uncertainty."
The majority of individuals being moved out of the remote villages, which are only accessible by air, first travel to Bethel—the regional hub—where an armory has been established to shelter approximately 100 evacuees. Donations are significantly accumulating to aid those affected. Many evacuees expressed a desire to reconnect with family members in nearby, less-impacted communities. By Wednesday night, authorities communicated that sheltering operations have expanded beyond Bethel, where overcrowding is becoming an issue. Hundreds of survivors are being relocated to secure, warm shelters located outside the immediate area in collaboration with local communities, tribal organizations, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, and the Association of Village Council Presidents.
According to Zidek, there is a determined effort to make homes that sustained less damage livable before winter descends. He remarked, "We’re going to strive to achieve this in every community we can, to help individuals return to their homes." They are preparing to provide both temporary and long-term shelter solutions for those who cannot return to their residences in the near term.
The American Red Cross has mobilized additional staff from across the nation to assist in Anchorage and Bethel with sheltering and mass care requirements, state emergency officials reported. The World Central Kitchen has also arrived on-site to manage feeding efforts for survivors in shelters. Meanwhile, the Salvation Army is contributing to mass care measures, organizing donations, and addressing sheltering needs.
Furthermore, officials at the state emergency operations center stated they have received mutual assistance from various states, including Colorado, Virginia, South Carolina, Texas, and Arkansas, to aid in the disaster response efforts.
Bella Biondini, a reporter for Daily News, contributed to this report.
