1 killed, 51 rescued in western Alaskan communities devastated by floods caused by Typhoon Halong's remnants

Unique challenges for first responders after floods from typhoon remnants devastate western Alaska

First responders are dealing with unique challenges due to the remote location of communities in western Alaska that were devastated by flooding from the remnants of Typhoon Halong over the weekend. National Spokesperson for the American Red Cross, Taylar Sausen joined FOX Weather Command on Wednesday with the latest conditions.

BETHEL, Alaska – Record-setting flooding in western Alaska from the remnants of Typhoon Halong has left at least one person dead after the storm slammed villages and damaged key roads and regional airports along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region over the weekend.

Alaska State Troopers announced late Monday that a woman had been found dead in the small coastal village of Kwigillingok. Fifty-one people and two dogs were rescued from that village and the village of Kipnuk.

State Troopers said Tuesday night that two people remain unaccounted for in Kwigillingok, and a joint task force made a decision Tuesday to end active search and rescue operations. State police initially said on Monday that all the missing had been found.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

The powerful coastal storm moved into the Bering Sea on Sunday, packing hurricane-force wind gusts, big waves and major coastal flooding for the Kuskokwim Delta and communities south of the Bering Strait. However, the area was already dealing with storm surge and heavy rain from a previous storm system, creating a dire situation.

The powerful flooding has displaced more than 1,400 people and prompted search and rescue operations by state and federal officials.

Displaced families are staying at schools in Kwigillingok and Kipnuk as officials work to find more suitable shelter. 

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 working on a plan to distribute supplies and food to people displaced by the flooding.

Napakiak, Alaska inundated as typhoon remnants swamp Frontier State

Homes were flooding in Napakiak, Alaska in the western part of the state which was inundated by the remnants of Typhoon Halong Sunday.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy expanded an Oct. 9 disaster declaration to include all areas impacted by the typhoon, the state's Homeland Security Department announced Tuesday.

"We will help folks on the ground with immediate needs, we will help folks on the ground with mid-term needs, and we will help folks on the ground with long-term needs," Gov. Dunleavy said at a Monday news conference. 

Additional first responders and the Alaska National Guard are being deployed to the region. 

The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center reported an overwhelming number of calls for non-critical evacuations on Monday, the Homeland Security Department reported.

Flooding, winds pound Western Alaska from typhoon remnants

Video from Bethel, Alaska shows flooding and damaging winds blasting the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta as remnants of Typhoon Halong continue to move through Western Alaska. 

FOX Weather Meteorologist Stephen Morgan noted Wednesday that Halong's remnants brought hurricane-force wind gusts that could potentially damage communications infrastructure.

"There are some areas in Alaska where we have yet to hear what the storm's impacts were, because we have no connectivity with them," American Red Cross National Spokesperson Taylar Sausen told FOX Weather Command Wednesday morning.

"It really is a challenge for disaster responders to begin to even evaluate the level of damage that we're seeing across the more than 40 communities that have been impacted by this storm," Sausen added.

Significant flooding remained in western Alaskan communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta on Monday, Oct. 14, 2025, after the remnants of Typhoon Halong slammed the region with strong winds and coastal flooding over the weekend.

(Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management/Facebook / FOX Weather)

Video from the city of Bethel showed powerful flooding washing away boats and damaging infrastructure over the weekend. Photos shared by Alaska's Emergency Management showed dozens of homes surrounded by flooding.

Hurricane-force wind gusts of up to 100 mph were reported over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Another video taken in Emmonak showed the powerful winds and surf flipping a boat on its side. 

Strong winds, waves from Typhoon Halong remnants flip boat in Alaska

Video from Western Alaska show the ongoing coastal storm sending hurricane-force winds and dangerous flooding into coastal communities. This video shows a boat flipped on its side from the rough surf and winds. 

Alaska's Department of Transportation reported that more than 50 community airports and roads were damaged by the storm. The department noted that many of the villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta aren't connected by a continuous road system, and local airports are the only connection to outside communities.

The department reported late Tuesday that the Kipnuk Airport had been reopened following repair work, and all regional airports are now open.

Flooding on Alaska runway after October coastal storm

Drone video from the Alaska DOT&PF shows flooding on the Kotz Airport after the first round of coastal flooding in October 2025. 

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities completed damage surveys of the first coastal storm last week before the renewed threat from Halong arrived over the weekend. The video above shows the flooding on the Kotz Airport runway after the first round of flooding. 

A Coastal Flood Warning was in effect through Monday afternoon for much of coastal Alaska. At a news conference Monday, the National Weather Service reported water in Kipnuk was 6.6 feet above the normal high-tide level, almost 2 feet above the previous record set in 2000. 

Western Alaska devastated by floods caused by Typhoon Halong's remnants

Record-setting flooding in western Alaska from the remnants of Typhoon Halong has left at least one person dead after the storm slammed villages and damaged key roads and regional airports along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region over the weekend. FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera tracked the origins of the storm that slammed Alaska.

According to an Alaska nonprofit, the Coastal Villages Region Fund, the devastation from Halong may be beyond that of Typhoon Merbok in 2022. 

The Red Cross told FOX Weather that many communities in western Alaska rely on a traditional subsistence lifestyle, and the impacts of Typhoon Halong could jeopardize food that was being stored for the winter months.