More than 1,500 people in western Alaska have been displaced by catastrophic flooding and hurricane-force winds brought by Typhoon Halong — including the near-total destruction of the Alaska Native villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok.

Entire homes floated out to sea. Families were forced to take shelter in overcrowded schools without working toilets. Others waited to be airlifted to shelters in Bethel, Anchorage, and Fairbanks.

Winter is approaching fast — and there is no time to waste.

We, the undersigned, are calling on:

FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security
The State of Alaska Emergency Management Division
Congressional leaders and the White House

To immediately:

• Air-drop or deliver emergency housing and heating systems before conditions freeze
• Provide emergency funds for rebuilding homes, roads, and power infrastructure
• Support the safe relocation of displaced families, including cultural and spiritual support
• Ensure all emergency relief respects Indigenous sovereignty and community-led recovery plans
   

This is not a typical weather event — it is a climate-driven humanitarian crisis.

Typhoon Halong’s destruction was worsened by warming ocean temperatures, part of a pattern of increasingly severe storms devastating remote Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. These small, resilient villages cannot be expected to rebuild alone — nor should they be forgotten.

Alaska Native communities have long been on the frontlines of climate change, even as they receive far too little attention or investment. The U.S. government has a duty to protect all its citizens — including those in remote, Indigenous communities.

This disaster is not over. In some villages, every home was damaged. More rain is on the way. And time is running out before the deep cold sets in.