Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Rescue efforts have airlifted at least 300 people from parts of Alaska after the remnants of Typhoon Halgong sent storm surge of over 6 feet into the state's coast.
The Alaska National Guard called it the largest airlift in the state's recent history.
Typhoon Halong brought extreme winds -- some over 100 mph -- that overturned homes. Storm surge flooded villages. Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were hardest hit. Storm surge reached 6.6 feet in Kipnuk, almost two feet higher than the previous record.
Yesterday, @176thWing Airmen evacuated approximately 300 residents displaced by devastation from Typhoon Halong, which struck the West Coast of Alaska late last week. The @AKNationalGuard continues to work with federal, state and local partners to support recovery operations. pic.twitter.com/J8rF7r101z— National Guard (@USNationalGuard) October 16, 2025
Overnight the Guard evacuated 300 people from a regional shelter that was at capacity in Bethel to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, about 400 miles away. The remaining residents of the two villages will be evacuated from Bethel to Anchorage by Friday, said Lt. Col. Brendan Holbrook, commander of the Alaska Army National Guard's 207th Aviation Troop Command, The Washington Post reported.
