Report on Western Alaska Disaster Recovery Following Ex-Typhoon Halong

• •Ex-typhoon Halong struck western Alaska in October 2025, affecting an area of 100,000 square miles.
• •The storm produced winds exceeding 100 mph and storm surges that pushed floodwaters 25 miles inland.
• •90% of community infrastructure in the village of Kipnuk was destroyed or rendered unusable.
• •Hundreds of residents from Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were evacuated via C-130 aircraft to Bethel and Anchorage.
• •Storm damage included the destruction of boardwalks, the displacement of homes from their foundations, and the failure of sewage lagoons.
• •Caskets were displaced from cemeteries and scattered across the tundra due to flooding.
• •The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a two-part field hearing to examine federal responses and recovery programs.
• •Historical settlement patterns, influenced by Bureau of Indian Affairs school placement, left many villages vulnerable to environmental hazards.
• •Federal laws including ANILCA and NEPA have historically limited the ability of these communities to relocate.

The report documents the destruction of 90% of Kipnuk's infrastructure and the displacement of hundreds of residents, signaling a need for federal intervention in relocation and recovery efforts for Arctic Tribal communities.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.