Red Cross deploys hundreds of disaster volunteers to help in Alaska after Typhoon Halong destroys entire villages

Two men in Red Cross vests carry supplies for a shelter

1 of 6

Red Cross volunteers unload supplies to set up a shelter in Anchorage, Alaska to be ready for the evacuees being flown in after Typhoon Halong destroyed their villages.

Women in Red Cross vests work at a table in a shelter

2 of 6

These American Red Cross volunteers are helping at one of two Red Cross managed shelters in Anchorage, Alaska. The Red Cross is supporting the state of Alaska in one of the largest airlifts in the state’s recent history, evacuating entire villages left in ruins by Typhoon Halong. Over the weekend, several hundred evacuees from the villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were staying in the shelters.

3 of 6

Terry Yeomans and her dog, Tia, prepare to head out to shelters in Anchorage. Both Terry and Tia are specially trained to work with people affected by crisis, trauma or disaster. Tia is heading out to the shelters to provide comfort to the residents, alongside other canine companions. Photo by Scott Marder/American Red Cross

women in Red Cross vests serve meals to men in uniform

4 of 6

Red Crossers Mantia Krisintu and Wendy Brightman serve dinner to members of the Alaska National Guard at a shelter in Bethel, Alaska. . The Red Cross is working closely with state, tribal, and local officials, as well as partners like the National Guard, to coordinate the complex evacuation effort after Typhoon Halong destroyed several villages. Photo by Scott Marder/American Red Cross

man in Red Cross vest walks on Alaska boardwalk

5 of 6

Red Crosser Dale Kunce walks with state emergency management officials on a boardwalk leading into the village of Tuntutuliak after arriving by Alaska National Guard helicopter. These boardwalks are vital to the communities of western Alaska, used to move around above water, ice and mud, and acting as sidewalks and roads. Many were heavily damaged or destroyed in the recent flooding. Reconnaissance teams from the Red Cross and state emergency officials headed out to western Alaska to help people in villages heavily damaged by flooding and winds from Typhoon Halong.

6 of 6

Dale Kunce, regional executive of the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region, speaks with a resident of Tuntutuliak at the local school. Teams from the Red Cross, along with state emergency officials and National Guardsman, headed out to western Alaska to help people in villages heavily damaged by flooding and winds from Typhoon Halong.

October 20, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. October 20, 2025 — Hundreds of American Red Cross disaster volunteers from across the country have mobilized to western Alaska to support people whose communities were devastated by Typhoon Halong.

Many residents have lost everything, with homes rendered uninhabitable — some swept from their foundations and carried out to sea. The affected region is extremely remote, reachable only by boat or plane. Emergency responders warn that some villages may need to be completely rebuilt, and it could take up to 18 months before some families can return — if at all. Delivering building materials poses a major challenge: planes can only carry limited cargo, and with winter ice setting in, barge deliveries will soon come to a halt. The typhoon also severely damaged critical infrastructure, including roads, communication networks, and air and seaport facilities.

“2,000 Americans who had homes and a community this time last week have literally nothing left tonight but the clothes on their back and find themselves far from anything familiar with no resources and no certainty about what lies ahead,” said Brad Kieserman, vice president, Disaster Operations & Logistics for the Red Cross. “Imagine if that was you, or your family. That's why we have a Red Cross and that's why the Red Cross is there: to make sure that no one is ever the least, the last, or the lost.”

MASSIVE AIRLIFT In one of the largest airlifts in Alaska’s recent history, entire villages are being evacuated. Residents from Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and other severely affected communities are being flown by helicopter to Bethel, where Red Cross disaster teams are supporting a shelter that serves as a temporary landing point. From there, evacuees are registered for a second flight to Anchorage — nearly 500 miles away — where they will receive safe shelter, food, emergency supplies, emotional support, and health services. The Red Cross is working closely with state, tribal, and local officials, as well as partners like the National Guard, to coordinate this complex evacuation effort. Airlifts are expected to continue for several days as response teams work tirelessly to assist those displaced by the disaster.

FLYING HELP IN TO OTHER VILLAGES As winter approaches, there are other villages in the region where residents have no power or running water, food they had stored for the winter now ruined and stoves used to heat their homes damaged. That damage could make the winter difficult in remote communities where people store food from hunting and fishing to help make it through the season. Based out of Bethel, the Red Cross is deploying disaster workers to these villages by boat and plane to set up shelters and begin the process of delivering relief supplies, especially non-traditional goods, to help families who lost their supplies of food for the winter.

The Red Cross will continue to support people impacted by the storm to provide effective and culturally informed care as communities begin to recover.

FINDING FRIENDS AND FAMILY Red Cross Reunification teams are working as quickly as they can to try to reconnect people with their loved ones. Visit here for more information on how the Red Cross may be able to help.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Thousands of people in Alaska have lost everything and will be unable to return home for months while winter keeps them out of their villages. People are depending on the Red Cross for help, and we need your support. Help people affected by disasters big and small — whenever and wherever they occur across the country — by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief at redcross.org or by calling 1- 800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)

You can also choose to donate by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). Other ways to support include making a blood donation, volunteering, or learning lifesaving skills like First Aid/CPR/AED to keep yourself and your community safe.

Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) Through the generosity of our American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder members, the American Red Cross is prepared before disaster strikes. ADGP and Disaster Responder members help secure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that enables the Red Cross to respond immediately, meeting the needs of individuals and families affected by disaster.

Mission Leader Members: Amazon; American Airlines; Bank of America; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Costco Wholesale; Dollar General; Lowe's; State Farm

ADGP $1M Members: Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Caterpillar Foundation; CMA CGM Foundation; Delta Air Lines; Enterprise Mobility Foundation; FedEx; Honda; Lilly Endowment Inc.; McDonald’s Corporation; Merck; Nationwide Foundation; The Pfizer Foundation; The Starbucks Foundation; Takeda; Truist Foundation; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; Wells Fargo Foundation

ADGP $500k Members: ALDI; Altria Group; Aon; Baxter International Foundation; Boeing; Bread Financial; Capital One; Chick-fil-A; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; Edison International Foundation; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Philanthropy; Fox Corporation; GE Aerospace Foundation; General Motors; Google.org; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; HCA Healthcare; The Home Depot Foundation; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; ; The Kroger Co. Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Marathon Petroleum Corporation; Mastercard; Microsoft; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Northrop Grumman Foundation; NTT Data; Paul Davis Restoration; PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; PetSmart Charities; Southeastern Grocers and the SEG Gives Foundation; Stryker; Suburban Propane; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; U.S. Bank Foundation; Visa Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; The Wawa Foundation; Wesco; Wingstop Restaurants; Yum! Brands; Zoetis Foundation

Disaster Responder Members: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe Foundation; The AES Corporation; Aflac; Albemarle Corporation; The Allstate Foundation; American Family Insurance; American Water Charitable Foundation; Ameriprise Financial; Assurant; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Bath & Body Works; Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; Build-A-Bear Foundation; Canadian National Railway; CarMax; CDW; Charles Schwab Foundation; Cisco and Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Foundation; The Deluxe Foundation; DENSO North America Foundation; DHL Supply Chain; The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Dollar Tree; Duke Energy; Elevance Health Foundation; Eli Lilly and Company Foundation; Equitable ; Erie Insurance; Fastenal; Grainger; HP Foundation; International Paper; Invitation Homes; Johnson & Johnson Foundation; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation ; L’Oréal; The Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo ; LKQ; Macy’s, Inc.; Major League Baseball; Martin Marietta; Masco Corporation; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; Mutual of Omaha Foundation; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Nike Foundation; Norfolk Southern; Northwestern Mutual; Novartis US Foundation; Old Dominion Freight Line; Oxy; Pacific Life Foundation; Prudential; Raymond James; RBC Foundation USA; Reckitt; Reynolds American Inc.; RTX; Ryder System, Inc.; Salesforce; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Southwest Airlines; Stanley Black & Decker; Stephens; Tennant Company; Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.; Uber; U-Haul International; Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation; US Foods; Zurich

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.