JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Three people were missing in western Alaska on Monday, and more than 50 had been rescued — some plucked from rooftops — 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.
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.
