1 dead, 2 missing and dozens rescued after remnants of a typhoon lash
western Alaska
[October 14, 2025]
By BECKY BOHRER and SARAH BRUMFIELD
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — One person was dead and two were missing in
western Alaska on Monday after the remnants of Typhoon Halong over the
weekend brought hurricane-force winds and ravaging storm surges and
floodwaters that swept some homes away, authorities said. More than 50
people had been rescued — some plucked from rooftops.
Officials warned of a long road to recovery and a need for continued
support for the hardest-hit communities with winter just around the
corner. A U.S. Coast Guard official, Capt. Christopher Culpepper,
described the situation in the villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok as
“absolute devastation.”
Elsewhere in the U.S., severe weather killed a woman in New York City
who was struck by a solar panel, and the Columbus Day Parade there also
was canceled. Rescuers in the Phoenix area found the body of a man whose
truck was swept away by floodwaters, and crews in southern California
prepared for potential mudslides in fire-ravaged areas.
Communities tally the toll on Alaska villages
Alaska State Troopers said at least 51 people and two dogs were rescued
in Kipnuk and Kwigillingok after the storm system walloped the
communities. Both areas saw significant storm surge, according to the
National Weather Service.
A woman was found dead and two people remained unaccounted for in
Kwigillingok, troopers said. The agency earlier said it was working to
confirm secondhand reports of people who were unaccounted for in Kipnuk,
but late Monday, said troopers had determined no one there was missing.
According to the nonprofit Coastal Villages Region Fund, most of the
residents in both communities had taken shelter in local schools.
In addition to housing concerns, residents impacted by the system across
the region reported power outages, a lack of running water, subsistence
foods stocked in freezers ruined and damage to home-heating stoves. That
damage could make the winter difficult in remote communities where
people store food from hunting and fishing to help make it through the
season.
‘The worst I’ve ever seen'
Jamie Jenkins, 42, who lives in another hard-hit community, Napakiak,
said the storm was “the worst I've ever seen.” She described howling
winds and fast-rising waters Sunday morning.
Her mother — whose nearby home shifted on its foundation — and a
neighbor whose home flooded came over to Jenkins' place. They tried to
wait out the storm, she said, but when the waters reached their top
stairs, they got in a boat and evacuated to the school.
Jenkins said “practically the whole community” was there. The men in
town gathered their boats and went house to house to pick up anyone else
who was still in their homes, she said.
Adaline Pete, who lives in another community, Kotlik, said she had never
experienced winds so strong before. An unoccupied house next door
flipped over, but she said her family felt safe in their home.
Republican senators support recovery, resilience funds
During a news conference organized by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Alaska's two
U.S. senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, said they would continue
to focus on climate resilience and infrastructure funds for Alaska.
Sullivan said it was the congressional delegation's job to ensure the
Trump administration and their colleagues understood the importance of
such funds.
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An unoccupied home rests on its roof after being knocked over in
Kotlik, Alaska, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after the remnants of Typhoon
Halong hit western Alaska. (AP Photo/Adaline Pete)
Earlier this year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it would
end a program aimed at mitigating disaster risks. The decision is being
challenged in court.
Murkowski said erosion mitigation projects take time to complete. “But
our reality is, we are seeing these storms coming ... certainly on a
more frequent basis, and the intensity that we’re seeing seems to be
accumulating as well, and so the time to act on it is now because it’s
going to take us some time to get these in place,” she said of such
projects.
About 380 people live in Kwigillingok, a predominately Alaska Native
community on the western shore of Kuskokwim Bay and near the mouth of
the Kuskokwim River. A report prepared for the local tribe in 2022 by
the Alaska Institute for Justice said the frequency and severity of
flooding in the low-lying region had increased in recent years. The
report listed relocation of the community as an urgent need.
Erosion and melting permafrost pose threats to infrastructure and in
some cases entire communities in Alaska, which is experiencing the
impacts of climate change.
California crews prepare for mudslides
In California, rescue crews with helicopters and bulldozers were being
pre-positioned near wildfire burn areas to respond to potential debris
flows and mudslides as a major storm takes aim at the state. A flood
watch was issued starting late Monday for much of Southern California,
where several inches of rain were possible through Tuesday. To the
north, up to 3 feet (1 meter) of mountain snow was predicted for parts
of the Sierra Nevada.
Intense rain pummels part of Arizona
A microburst and thunderstorm hit the city of Tempe, Arizona, on Monday,
dropping about a half-inch of rain within 10 minutes, the National
Weather Service said. Weather service meteorologist Katherine
Berislavich said a microburst — when a storm collapses on itself and
pushes out at high wind speeds — can be mistaken for a tornado because
of the damage it can cause.
The storm caused significant damage, including uprooting trees that
toppled onto vehicles and buildings, and dropping them on streets and
sidewalks. A business complex had its roof torn off, and thousands of
homes lost power.
Heavy rain drenched much of the state, inundating parking lots and
usually dry washes and leaving residential areas looking like rivers.
___
Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland. Associated Press
reporter Jamie Stengle contributed from Dallas.
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