Alaska’s Indigenous Communities Devastated by Typhoon Halong 

The remnants of Typhoon Halong devastated Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta on October 12, 2025, bringing hurricane-force winds up to 107 mph and a record-breaking storm surge that swept entire homes, some with families still inside, off their foundations. At least one person is confirmed dead; two remain missing, and over 1,600 residents of remote Yup’ik communities have been evacuated in one of Alaska’s largest airlifts in recent history.  

“When the sea rose over six feet, it swept through Yup’ik communities and fragile tundra, rewriting lives and landscapes forever. Across Alaska, we carry those ripples, a reminder that resilience isn’t about recovery alone, it’s about protecting what remains for future generations.” 
—Dr. Mariah Seater, Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholar and Arctic Basecamp Polar Scientist in Residence 

Key Developments: 

• Limited warning: Forecast models shifted the storm’s track with less than 36 hours notice, preventing adequate evacuation in many areas 

• Catastrophic village destruction: In Kipnuk (pop. 715), 90% of homes destroyed or uninhabitable; in Kwigillingok (pop. 380), 35% of homes swept away 

• Widespread impact: 49 communities across western Alaska affected 

• Infrastructure collapse: Boardwalks (the roads of tundra villages) uprooted; power systems flooded; fuel storage damaged, threatening contamination of subsistence resources 

• Rescue operations: 51+ people rescued from rooftops and floating homes; mass evacuations by C-17 military aircraft to Anchorage shelters. 

Climate change connection: 

This storm reflects a growing climate-driven shift in global weather dynamics, where tropical systems are reaching higher latitudes and interacting with Arctic conditions. Warmer ocean surfaces provide the energy that allows storms like Typhoon Halong to maintain strength as they move northward. 

The Arctic is warming approximately four times faster than the global average, leading to reduced sea ice, changing wind circulation, and increased coastal vulnerability. Arctic sea ice loss, warmer ocean temperatures, sea-level rise, and thawing permafrost coasts are combining to amplify coastal flooding and erosion. With fewer protective ice days and higher baseline water levels, storms like Halong can now drive more destructive surges across low-lying communities. These processes are connecting tropical and polar systems in new ways, resulting in stronger and more frequent extreme weather events across high latitudes. 

Global Implications: 

The storm reveals the structural vulnerability of remote Arctic communities, where limited infrastructure and geographic isolation makes recovery difficult. As high-energy weather events move poleward, global systems for disaster response, infrastructure design, and adaptation funding must evolve to meet these new realities. 

For Indigenous communities, the threat is existential, affecting housing security, cultural continuity, and livelihoods dependent on subsistence hunting and fishing. Climate change is thawing the permafrost that underpins villages, causing ground subsidence that destabilizes the foundations of housing and critical infrastructure. A scientific study published just two months before Halong struck found that at least 10 of the 18 villages on the outer Yukon-Kuskokwim delta will likely need to be relocated due to coastal erosion, permafrost thaw, sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium estimates nearly 150 communities across Alaska will require full or partial relocation in the coming years. Global resilience frameworks must therefore recognize and prioritize Arctic adaptation as part of the broader climate justice agenda. Communities that contribute little to global emissions should not bear the full burden of adaptation and relocation costs. 

Urgent Response Needed: 

• Conduct rapid needs assessments in partnership with local and Indigenous leaders 

• Reinforce emergency supply chains to deliver fuel, water, and essential goods 

• Enhance Arctic early-warning systems with reliable communication and evacuation protocols 

• Rebuild resilient infrastructure such as elevated housing, flood defenses, and nature-based buffers 

• Reinstate climate adaptation funding for high-latitude, vulnerable communities 

This event is a stark indicator that the boundaries between tropical and polar climate systems are eroding, demanding urgent, coordinated global action. 

Read more: Extreme weather events | Health risks | Climate Risks Daily 

Original sources: https://alaskabeacon.com/briefs/rescue-and-recovery-efforts-underway-as-remnants-of-typhoon-halong-hit-western-alaska/  

Jorgenson, M. T., Sedinger, J., Ely, C., Fienup-Riordan, A., Atkinson, D. E., Ayuluk, J., et al. (2025). Interacting sea-level rise, sea-ice loss, storm flooding, erosion, and permafrost thaw threaten ecosystems, wildlife, and communities on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Earth’s Future, 13, e2025EF006015. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025EF006015