Alaska governor asks Trump for federal aid after typhoon displaces 1,500 people

Alaska's Southwestern Villages Reel from Devastating Typhoon, Leaving 1500 Displaced and Seeking Federal Aid

A powerful storm has brought catastrophic destruction to remote villages in southwestern Alaska, displacing over 1500 people and prompting a massive air evacuation effort. The remnants of Typhoon Halong made landfall in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta over the weekend, unleashing fierce winds, rain, and record-breaking storm surge that inundated homes and left them floating on their foundations.

The scale of the disaster has surpassed Alaska's capacity to respond, prompting a plea from state leaders for federal aid. Governor Mike Dunleavy has asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster, which would allow additional federal resources to be allocated to repair housing and utilities before winter sets in.

At least one person is dead, and two are missing, as the storm ravaged communities on the south-west coast like an earthquake. In the village of Kipnuk, Alexie Stone described seeing under the water outside his window, with a shed drifting towards him before turning away. The house has become uninhabitable, along with most of the village.

Resident Julia Stone, a village police officer, was working when the winds picked up and residents called for help, reporting that their houses were floating. She described the situation as "chaos" but praised the community's resilience in the face of disaster. "It's a nightmare what we went through, but I thank God we are together."

The damage is extensive, with water levels exceeding 6ft in Kipnuk and 3 dozen homes drifting away in Kwigillingok. In the village of Napaskiak, water, sewer, and well systems are inoperable.

The disaster has shed light on recent Trump administration cuts to grants aimed at helping small villages prepare for storms or mitigate disaster risks. The cancellation of a $20m US Environmental Protection Agency grant to Kipnuk has left the community vulnerable to future flooding.

As Alaskans rally around displaced evacuees, over $1 million has been raised to support those affected by the storm. With the situation still unfolding, it remains to be seen how effectively federal aid will address the disaster's aftermath.

Ugh, Alaska is literally getting ravaged by these typhoons and I'm like what's going on?! They're basically asking for help from the feds, but also got slammed with cuts from the Trump admin earlier this year . Like, how do you plan for a disaster if you're not even giving them the resources to prepare? This is just so not fair to these communities that are already struggling.

And btw, I'm keeping an eye on this situation because it's gonna be super interesting to see how the feds respond (or don't respond). The fact that over $1 million has been raised from Alaskans in like a day is pretty impressive tho . Hopefully the aid comes soon and they can get back on their feet before winter hits

man this is devastating alaska is already super remote and now they have to deal with a massive typhoon that just broke records left and right 1500 people displaced thats crazy i feel bad for alexie stone seeing his house getting flooded like that he must be going through some major trauma and the fact that they had grant cuts from the trump admin is just cherry on top it's not like they had any way to prepare or mitigate the damage but still we should all try to help in every way we can

Ugh I'm so worried about these ppl ... Alaska's remoteness makes it super hard for them to get help in a timely manner. It's crazy that the typhoon was so powerful it brought homes down! And to think those federal aid cuts are gonna make things worse? That $20m grant cancellation is like, totally devastating . Can't believe ppl have to suffer through this & no one's doin enuf about it . I mean, the Stones r doin okay but 1500 displaced? We gotta get more help over there ASAP!

man this typhoon is like a harsh reminder of our own fragility... i mean think about it, these villages are already living in some of the harshest conditions on earth and then hit with something that's just beyond their control... it's like the storm is stripping away everything they thought they had built for themselves. 1500 people displaced, homes destroyed, lives forever changed... it's hard to even process how devastating this must be for them. and yeah, those federal aid cuts are like a kick in the gut... can't believe that kind of shortsightedness at a time when people need help most. but you know what the scariest part is? not just the damage or the displacement, but the fact that they're having to deal with this on their own because some folks thought it was unnecessary... anyway, gotta keep an eye on how this whole thing plays out

this is so sad... 1500 people affected? that's like a whole town displaced and struggling to get help. i feel bad for the ppl who lost their homes, especially those who were in Kipnuk - it sounds like a nightmare . and now they're worried about winter coming and the damage getting worse... it's crazy that the storm was so powerful, like an earthquake but instead of shaking buildings, it flooded them . hopefully the federal aid comes through and helps the ppl rebuild

omg u guys, this typhoon is like nothing alaska's ever seen before ! 1500 people displaced and its not even close to over yet. u feel? the gov's cuts to grants are literally gonna leave them high & dry when winter comes . the community's resilience is def admirable tho . it's a nightmare, for real tho . what's the deal with trumps admin cuttin' funds? didnt they know typhoons would happen again?!

I'm thinking about the people of Alaska right now... they're going through such a tough time . This typhoon is just devastating, and I can only imagine how scary it must have been to see your homes floating away like that . The fact that some grants were cut by the Trump administration is really concerning - it's not exactly the help you need in situations like this . But at the same time, I'm glad to see the community coming together and showing so much resilience . And $1 million raised for the evacuees? That's amazing! The US government needs to step up with some serious aid ASAP ...

this typhoon is literally devastating and i'm so sorry for everyone in alaska who's been affected the scale of the disaster is crazy and i hope they get the help they need ASAP it's heartbreaking to see people losing their homes and being displaced the federal aid request is a good start, but i wish they would've considered that grant cancellation earlier these villages are already struggling and now they're facing even more challenges

Omg that's so heartbreaking ... 1500 people displaced is crazy! The pictures of flooded homes are just devastating . I'm all for the community coming together and raising funds, but the lack of preparedness due to those Trump administration cuts is a major red flag . How can we expect our villages to be resilient if they're not being given the resources to prepare? Let's hope the federal aid arrives soon and helps them rebuild

I gotta say , I'm so done with everyone crying about this typhoon in Alaska... like, come on guys! The villagers should've seen it coming. It's not like Typhoon Halong was a surprise or anything - they knew it was gonna be bad. And now they're expecting federal aid? Give me a break! They should've been prepared for this kind of thing. I mean, they're in Alaska, not Miami! The damage is just a natural consequence of their lifestyle. And those cuts to grants from the EPA? Not exactly shocking. If they can't even afford to prepare for storms on their own, who's gonna bail them out now? It's all just a big game of "who's got the most money"? Let the market sort it out, I say!

Man, this typhoon is like something outta a horror movie right? I mean, 1500 people displaced and homes floating away... that's just crazy . I'm not saying it's Trump's fault or anything (he's already got enough on his plate ), but those grant cuts to help villages prepare for storms gotta be a concern. I feel bad for the community in Kipnuk, they're gonna need some serious aid to get back on their feet . But at the same time, you gotta give credit where credit is due... residents like Julia Stone who are still going strong amidst all this chaos ? That's some resilience right there

I mean, who doesn't love a good game of chance when you live in a remote Alaskan village with no infrastructure to speak of? It's not like you have a choice but to stick around and hope for the best. And hey, at least the scenery is nice this time of year! 6ft water levels, huh? Sounds like a real blast (not). I'm sure the $1m raised in donations will definitely make a dent in those repair costs...

this is so sad! 1500 people are affected and a lot of their homes are ruined. i hope the ppl in charge can get them some help ASAP the fact that they had a grant cut off for preparedness is just heartbreaking. how can we not be prepared for disasters? also, it's crazy to think that someone lost their life and 2 are still missing

Man, this is crazy . I'm so worried about these people who lost everything to that typhoon . 1500 displaced and counting? That's just devastating . And now they're facing a major disaster because of those Trump admin cuts ... like, what were they thinking?! The fact that the community has already lost a resident and two are missing is just heartbreaking . I hope the federal aid comes through soon to help them rebuild and get back on their feet . And can we talk about how this disaster highlights the importance of preparedness? It's like, we should be learning from these natural disasters instead of cutting funds for disaster prevention programs . Anyways, I'm sending all my thoughts to Alaska and the people affected by this typhoon .

This is super crazy 1500 people displaced and a whole village basically flooded... I mean, can you imagine waking up one day to find your home underwater? And on top of that, some government cut funding for storm prep and mitigation grants... like, how are small villages supposed to survive when they're not even prepared for disasters in the first place? It's not all bad news though - I'm glad people are coming together to raise money for those affected and Alaskans seem super resilient. Fingers crossed the federal aid arrives on time to help with the recovery efforts

Wow this is crazy! 1500 people displaced due to a typhoon in Alaska... what can you even say? The scale of the destruction is mind-boggling, especially with homes floating away on their foundations. And the fact that there was supposed to be federal aid for these small villages preparing for storms doesn't help. Interesting how this disaster has shed light on those cuts

this is just devastating i mean, 1500 people displaced and a whole village floating away like that's just not right the scale of the disaster is huge and its shocking that alaska can't handle it on their own they need all that federal aid ASAP hope everyone gets help soon and the community comes together to rebuild

This is getting crazy out there I mean, can we talk about how Alaskan villages are basically being left high and dry when it comes to preparedness? Like, those grants from the EPA were cancelled? That's just a recipe for disaster...literally . It's all well and good that people are coming together to raise money for affected families, but where was this kind of support during the planning phase? Shouldn't we be investing in making these communities more resilient to extreme weather events? The fact that they're having to deal with this level of devastation because of a lack of funding is just...meh . Anyway, I'm sure it'll all get sorted out eventually, but can we at least acknowledge the role that bureaucratic cuts played in making this disaster worse?

omg what a mess 1500 ppl displaced and they're struggling to get help from the feds? that $20m grant got cancelled and now Kipnuk is paying the price federal govts gotta step up their game ASAP!

i mean, the storm surge was record-breaking and ppl are literally losing their homes it's crazy how some ppl think disaster prep is just a "optional" thing

anyway, kudos to Julia Stone for staying calm in chaos but like, what about the ones who can't even get basic services like water and sewers? that's just unacceptable

alaska is literally crying out for help and the feds are still figuring it out i hope they step up their game before winter sets in... we need to see some serious aid coming through