In brief
The remnants of Typhoon Halong struck western Alaska with unprecedented force, causing catastrophic damage and displacing over 2,000 residents. Individuals like Steven Anaver shared harrowing accounts of being swept away in their homes as floodwaters rose rapidly. The storm has resulted in at least one death and multiple individuals missing, prompting extensive rescue operations in an effort to evacuate communities. With homes torn from foundations and infrastructure severely damaged, the recovery process is expected to be long and challenging.
The remnant storms of Typhoon Halong tore into western Alaska with such ferocity that they ripped Steven Anaver’s home from its foundation, sending it floating away with him inside.
Videos shared by Anaver convey the desperate situation as the waters rose inside his home and the flood raged around him.
The storms’ gale-force winds and record-high water levels devastated several small communities on October 12, displacing more than 2,000 individuals and necessitating one of the most significant airlift operations in Alaska's history.
At least one person has been confirmed dead, and two others are reported missing.
Floodwaters began to rise rapidly in Anaver’s village of Kwigillingok, a Yup’ik community particularly hard-hit by the storm.
With the power out and darkness enveloping him, he observed the water level jumping from his ankles to his knees in mere minutes.
Shortly thereafter, his home, with walls swaying like a boat, began to float away, carrying items such as plastic bags and furniture cushions in its wake.
Amidst the chaos, Anaver managed to capture video footage of his ordeal, describing the extreme challenge it presented to his anxiety and recounted his repeated attempts to contact his family.
The impact was immense: loud booms from crashing waves echoed while the wind whipped through a hole that formed in a wall.
“This was a big challenge for my anxiety,” he expressed. “I kept calling my family.”
More loud booms could be heard as the floating house collided with other structures.
Once sunrise arrived, Anaver noticed he had floated about a mile and was halted by a small hill that stopped him just feet from the river, which had swept other homes much farther away.
By 7 a.m., as the water receded, neighbors helped him escape his submerged home.
Three days later, he shared a video of his harrowing experience, stating, “I was inches away from death. I escaped.”
