Typhoon Halong Devastates Alaska’s Coastal Villages, And Hundreds Airlifted With More Flights Coming

Hundreds of people are being airlifted from storm-battered villages in Alaska after Typhoon Halong unleashed catastrophic flooding across the region. The powerful storm slammed into coastal communities, driving a record storm surge that swept away homes, some with residents still inside, and forced about 1,500 people into makeshift shelters. The Red Cross, the University of Alaska, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, the National Guard, and other agencies have joined forces to convert a local sports arena into a large temporary refuge for evacuees.

The airlift of residents, Alaska’s largest in history, marks a massive, coordinated effort to respond to the devastating storm that ravaged the state’s western coast. The Alaska Department of Military and Veteran Affairs said roughly 30