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• Village Devastation: The remnants of Typhoon Halong severely damaged villages on the western coast of Alaska, most notably Kwigillingok and Kipnuk. Homes were uprooted, floated away (some with residents inside), and debris piled up.
• Casualties & Displacement: One person was killed and two remain missing. Over 1,600 people were displaced and are in temporary housing, many in Anchorage, adapting to a life very different from their traditional subsistence lifestyle.
• The Choice to Stay: A few residents, like Darrel John and Nettie Igkurak, chose to remain in Kwigillingok to help with the immediate response and recovery efforts.
• State Response: The Alaska governor’s office is focused on repairing the damaged villages and supporting the displaced, estimating the repair could take up to 18 months.
• Worsening Conditions: Residents cite rising seas, erosion, melting permafrost, and increasingly intense storms as ongoing threats, noting that floods are getting “worse and worse.”
• Erosion and Mitigation: Kipnuk, the hardest-hit village, had a recommended rock wall project to reinforce the riverbank canceled by the Trump administration in 2019, potentially worsening its vulnerability.
• Historical Context: Villages in the low-lying Yukon-Kuskokwim River delta, settled permanently around churches and schools, have long dealt with flooding, but climate change has accelerated the damage.
• Uncertain Future: Many displaced residents are questioning whether their villages can survive in their current location, with “a lot of people” claiming they will not return due to the repetitive trauma.
• Cost and Time of Relocation: Relocating villages is enormously expensive and takes decades. For example, the village of Newtok spent over 25 years and $160 million to move its residents to Mertarvik.
• Need for Funding: A 2024 report estimated that $4.3 billion will be needed over the next 50 years to mitigate climate damage across 144 Alaska Native communities.
• Loss and Damage: Residents, like Harry Friend of Kwigillingok, lost their homes and personal property, including stockpiles of traditional foods (seal, moose, whale) spoiled by a power outage and saltwater intrusion.
• Cultural Connection: Despite the devastation, remaining residents are actively engaging in recovery efforts, like recovering washed-away coffins and righting fishing boats.
• Hope for Return: Even those who acknowledge the need for relocation, like Harry Friend, express a strong desire to return, emphasizing: “This is our land. You’ve got to come back to your home.”