In a remarkable and urgent mass evacuation effort, hundreds of residents from the storm-ravaged village of Kipnuk in Western Alaska were airlifted on Wednesday. Authorities instructed the local populace to gather essentials in a single bag and vacate their homes, as Kipnuk stood out among the severely afflicted locations following a devastating storm that struck the Yukon-Kuskokwim region over the weekend. But here's the shocking part: a similar evacuation occurred in Kwigillingok, a nearby Yup’ik village with a population of approximately 400, as confirmed by state officials later the same evening.
This unprecedented airlift operation, described by officials as one of the most substantial evacuation efforts in Alaska's disaster response history, involved the Alaska National Guard along with other agencies utilizing helicopters and a massive C-17 Globemaster III military aircraft to transport over 300 individuals from their vulnerable communities to emergency shelters located in Bethel and far-away Anchorage. These evacuation centers are expected to become homes, at least temporarily, for many of the affected residents.
As state emergency personnel reported, numerous displaced residents from Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were flown to an American Red Cross shelter in Anchorage. Additionally, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center indicated it had been inundated with requests for non-critical evacuations, showcasing the scale of this crisis just as the storm created dire circumstances for thousands.
The storm's aftermath has rendered homes uninhabitable and utilities completely inoperative in various communities across the region, leading to the displacement of over 1,000 individuals. To illustrate the magnitude of the situation, an Alaska State Emergency Operations Center report detailed that, by Tuesday evening, over 1,300 people were seeking refuge in schools across eight different communities.
Kipnuk, a Yup’ik community with around 700 residents nestled near the Bering Sea coast, experienced some of the most severe storm damage alongside Kwigillingok, located at the Kuskokwim River’s mouth. It’s heartbreaking to note that this catastrophe has led to at least one confirmed fatality and two individuals are still unaccounted for, all from Kwigillingok. According to the Alaska State Troopers, three family members were last observed in a residence that was dislodged and carried away towards the Bering Sea as record tidal surges struck the area.
Tragically, the body of 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok was recovered on Monday, while 71-year-old Vernon Pavil and his 41-year-old brother Chester Kashatok remain missing. The search operation, which extended over an area of roughly 88 square miles, has been a massive rescue undertaking.
As of Tuesday, the search efforts led by military aircraft for the missing individuals had been called off. Nonetheless, community members, village public safety officers, and volunteers are diligently engaging in recovery tasks utilizing tools like drag bars and sonar technology, as highlighted by the Association of Village Council Presidents on Wednesday.
In Kipnuk, around 600 community members have been seeking refuge in the local school for several nights. However, on Wednesday, evacuees were informed they must depart, as conveyed by various residents in the village.
It’s crucial to note that while the state has not mandated any evacuation orders, Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, confirmed that both Kipnuk and Kwigillingok have sought state and National Guard assistance for a full evacuation of their communities.
At least part of the evacuee group is heading to Anchorage, where the University of Alaska Anchorage plans to accommodate 300 displaced residents at the Alaska Airlines Center arena on campus. This initiative, as detailed by the American Red Cross, will provide beds, meals, emergency supplies, emotional support, and health services to those in need.
According to Katie Bender, the University of Alaska Anchorage’s marketing and communications director, evacuees were anticipated to arrive in Anchorage by Wednesday evening, but the exact numbers and originating villages remain uncertain.
The emergency situation paints a stark picture, with residents sheltering in schools across various towns including Kwigillingok (400 individuals), Napakiak (50), Nightmute (109), Tuntutuliak (70), Chefornak (50), and Nunam Iqua (30). The storm caused extensive damage to nearly all of the houses in Kipnuk, which is located 98 miles southwest of Bethel. Reports indicate that the conditions in the shelter are deteriorating, raising concerns for the displaced families.
Local officials are taking notice of requests for more water and assistance with a malfunctioning school generator. Additionally, the National Weather Service anticipates another, albeit less intense, storm to sweep through the area late Wednesday night.
With urgency in mind, officials went to the remaining residents at the school on Wednesday to communicate that a mandatory evacuation was necessary. In videos shared online by Kipnuk resident and emergency response official Buggy Carl, he captures the raw emotions of the community—people are devastated and filled with despair. “So many tears. Just crying their eyes out,” Carl expressed, understanding their pain but emphasizing that the evacuation is a matter of safety.
Jacqui Lang, a teacher at Chief Paul Memorial School in Kipnuk, reported that the situation is dire, with many community members reluctant to leave, especially due to the distressing reality of leaving pets and belongings behind. "Evacuation is no longer optional," she declared. "They’re saying that the school is not safe."
Evacuation efforts involved the use of both large Black Hawk helicopters and smaller private aircraft to transport people. Lang is also being proactive, coordinating with a Bethel-based pet rescue to ensure animals are safely evacuated from the village. This involves attaching duct-tape collars with owner information to pets still on-site, ensuring they can be reunited with their owners if a rescue effort can be arranged.
A local organization, Bethel Friends of Canines, is also working alongside Kipnuk educators to transport pets with uncertain futures out of the village, as they outline in a post on social media. They are facilitating creative transportation methods, such as collaborating with private pilots and arranging for some dogs to be taken across waterways to villages like Chefornak, where scheduled flights can reach Bethel more efficiently.
An update from state officials on Wednesday evening indicated that although prioritizing human evacuations remains paramount, there are coordinated efforts in place to rescue stranded and displaced animals as well.
"People are devastated," Lang summarized, touching on the emotional toll of the situation. "They don’t want to leave."
Most evacuees from these remote, air-access-only villages are being routed first to the regional hub of Bethel, where an armory has been converted to accommodate approximately 100 displaced individuals and serve as a distribution center for mounting donations. Some evacuees have expressed desires to join family members in neighboring communities deemed less damaged.
As of Wednesday night, state emergency management officials communicated that sheltering operations have had to extend beyond Bethel, which is nearing capacity, to ensure that numerous survivors are relocated to safe, warm shelters further afield in collaboration with local communities, tribal organizations, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, and the Association of Village Council Presidents.
The overarching aim, according to Zidek, is to prepare homes that remain somewhat intact for occupancy before winter arrives. “We’re going to look to do that in every community that we can, to get people back into their homes,” he asserted. "We’re preparing to provide intermediate and long-term shelter to individuals who cannot immediately return to their residences."
In response to the crisis, the American Red Cross has mobilized additional staff from across the nation to support sheltering and care efforts in both Anchorage and Bethel. Furthermore, the World Central Kitchen has stepped in to manage meal provisions for survivors residing in shelters, while the Salvation Army is assisting with care coordination and logistical needs associated with the shelter operation.
Additionally, reports from the state emergency operations center indicate that assistance has been received from neighboring states, including Colorado, Virginia, South Carolina, Texas, and Arkansas, highlighting the widespread cooperation during this emergency.
As this situation continues to unfold, we must consider the pressing questions surrounding disaster preparedness, community resilience, and the challenges of rebuilding after such devastating events. How can we ensure that rural communities have the resources they need before a crisis strikes? And what lessons can we learn to better protect ourselves against future storms? I invite you to share your thoughts and insights in the comments below—let’s discuss!
