Alaska Storm Evacuees May Not Return Home for 18 Months
Christy Bowen
4 hours agoThe major storm that hit coastal Alaska earlier in the month could keep residents out of their homes for at least 18 months, putting the full scope of the damage into perspective. Here is what the state's governor is saying about the latest recovery timeline.
Alaska Governor Warns That Residents Cannot Return Home for Months
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy penned a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, warning that thousands of Alaskans will not be able to return to their homes for at least 18 months. A large swath of the coastline of western Alaska sustained significant damage when the remnants of Typhoon Halong roared in from the Bering Sea beginning on October 8.
Several of the state's rural villages were impacted by the monster storm that decimated the infrastructure in this remote region. The Republican governor requested that Trump declare a major disaster in the area, a move that would trigger the release of federal funding to help with the recovery efforts.
Typhoon Halong got its start in the northern edge of the Philippine Sea in Southeast Asia. What was left of the storm moved through the Bering Strait, unleashing winds of 100 mph along the coastline of western Alaska. The most devastating element of this storm in Alaska was the storm surge, reaching levels of 8 feet above high tide.