Red Cross helping evacuees in Alaska after Typhoon Halong destroys entire villages

Two men in Red Cross vests carry supplies for a shelter

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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Red Cross and state emergency management officials in the heavily damaged village of Kwigillingok in western Alaska. Reconnaissance teams from the Red Cross, along with state emergency officials and National Guardsman, headed out by helicopter to help people in villages heavily damaged by flooding and winds from Typhoon Halong.

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This is the heavily damaged village of Kwigillingok in western Alaska. The boardwalks shown here serve as roads and sidewalks and are torn apart throughout the affected villages. Residents have no power or running water, food they had stored for the winter is ruined and stoves used to heat their homes damaged.

October 22, 2025

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. October 22, 2025 — Hundreds of American Red Cross disaster volunteers are in western Alaska to support the people who lost everything when their communities were devastated by Typhoon Halong.

As many as 1,500 Alaskans were evacuated by air from the extremely remote area, accessible only by boat or plane. First flown to Bethel, from there evacuees took a second flight to Anchorage — nearly 500 miles away — where the Red Cross and partners are providing safe shelter, food, emergency supplies, emotional support and health services.

Visit here to learn what two Red Crossers are experiencing while in Alaska.

FIND A SHELTER Several hundred evacuees are staying in the shelters in Anchorage, while others are staying with friends and relatives or have made other arrangements. Red Cross emergency shelters are a safe place and act as a hub for help. Anyone affected is welcome to stop by for a hot meal, to charge their phone and get other support. We don’t ask for identification, and you don’t have to stay overnight. Find open disaster shelter and support locations on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

MANY HOMES LOST As winter approaches, many homes across the affected region are now uninhabitable — some swept from their foundations and carried out to sea. Utility poles are down, boardwalks which serve as roads and sidewalks are torn apart. Residents have no power or running water, food they had stored for the winter is ruined and stoves used to heat their homes damaged.

Emergency responders warn that some villages may need to be completely rebuilt, that it could take up to 18 months before some families can return — if at all. Delivering building materials poses a major challenge with winter ice setting in, bringing barge deliveries to a halt.

In addition to the shelters in Anchorage, Red Cross disaster teams based in Bethel are deploying to the affected villages by boat and plane to help. The Red Cross is bringing relief supplies to the area, including non-traditional goods like freezers and bleach, 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.

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; 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; YUM! Brands; 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.