Alaska Native Villages Bear Climate Crisis After Historic Typhoon Strike

When Typhoon Halong’s remnants slammed into western Alaska in early October, the devastation exposed a troubling reality: centuries of colonial policies have left Alaska Native communities dangerously exposed to our changing climate. Nearly 50 Yup’ik villages along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta faced record-breaking storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and catastrophic flooding that destroyed 90% of homes in Kipnuk and displaced 1,500 residents across the region.

The destruction wasn’t just bad luck—it was the predictable result of historical injustices colliding with climate change. Federal policies dating back to the 1800s forced traditionally nomadic Yup’ik communities to settle in fixed coastal locations, first to access government-run schools that kept children from being sent to abusive boarding schools, then later due to job opportunities created by the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. These policies concentrated populations in precisely the areas now most vulnerable to rising seas and intensifying storms.

While federal and state officials have pledged $25 million in emergency aid, the path forward remains uncertain. Some villages are choosing relocation over rebuilding, but past efforts have fallen short—residents of Newtok’s new village of Metarvik still lack basic infrastructure like reliable electricity and running water despite millions in federal investment. With Alaska’s summer waters predicted to be ice-free within a decade, these communities need more than emergency responses. They need sustained federal support to either relocate safely or build resilient infrastructure that can withstand the next climate-fueled disaster.