A mass evacuation is underway for Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where a thousand people were sheltering in schools after Sunday’s huge storm.

Reached by phone Wednesday afternoon, Kipnuk tribal administrator Buggy Carl said he was focused on one thing.

“Right now, just trying to convince everybody to go before the next storm hits,” he said.

Shelter conditions in the two communities were rough. The toilets weren’t working at the Kwigillingok school. Power and telecommunications were spotty in Kipnuk, and fuel to heat the school was running low. Nearly all the homes in both towns were damaged. It’s unsafe to stay, Carl said. Still, some people are reluctant to leave.

“I know their mindset, that their heart is here,” he said. “They don’t know anywhere else to go.”

It’s more than just familiar

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