Hundreds of American Red Cross disaster volunteers have mobilized to support communities in western Alaska devastated by the remnants of Typhoon Halong. Among them is Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Regional Disaster Officer Lisa McGee, who departed Philadelphia last Friday to serve as a zone coordinator for at least three weeks.

Approximately 1,500 Alaskans were evacuated from remote villages that are only accessible by boat or plane. These include the villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok where the most severe damage occurred. Evacuees were flown first to Bethel, then to Anchorage—nearly 500 miles from their homes. In Anchorage, the Red Cross and its partners are providing safe shelter, food, emergency supplies, emotional support and health services.

Culturally Informed Care

Lisa is staying in Bethel, a “hub town” serving approximately 48 villages, many with distinct customs and languages. She starts each day at Bethel’s modest airport – described by Red Crosser Alli Katterheinrich of the Northwest Ohio Region as “just one small building with a luggage conveyor and security.” From here, Lisa travels by small plane and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to remote villages as part of a two-person Red Cross reconnaissance team. The teams meet tribal and government leaders to assess needs and provide culturally respectful support.

So far, Lisa's team has visited the villages of Quinhagak, Chevac and Akiachak. She was also en route to the village of Eek in a four-passenger plane before hazardous snow conditions forced them to turn around. Despite the challenges, she said the tribal leaders have been "very warm and welcoming," even arranging transportation from the airport to the villages for Red Cross workers.

Discussions with local leaders have focused on infrastructure damage, including roads, power lines, homes, public buildings and utilities. Across the villages, the team has observed widespread destruction of boats, fish and smoke houses, fish camps and fishing equipment.

"These losses are critical since fishing is their subsistence. They enjoy their fishing culture, which has been handed down over centuries from their ancestors," Lisa shared via email. "During my Red Cross brief, the facilitator shared that these native people have been living on this land for centuries."

Additional Red Cross teams are deploying by boat and plane to deliver relief supplies, including non-traditional items such as freezers and bleach, as well as building materials like tin and plywood to support urgent repairs.

Long Road To Recovery

Back in Anchorage, several hundred evacuees are staying in shelters, while others are staying with friends and relatives or have made other arrangements. Anyone affected is welcome to stop by a Red Cross emergency shelter for a place to rest, a hot meal, to charge their phone or get other support.

As winter approaches, many homes across the region are uninhabitable—some swept from their foundations and carried out to sea. Utility poles are down, boardwalks (which serve as roads and sidewalks) are destroyed, and residents are without power or running water. Food stores are ruined, and heating stoves are damaged.

Emergency responders warn that some villages may need to be completely rebuilt. Recovery could take up to 18 months, and delivering building materials is increasingly difficult as winter ice halts barge deliveries.

How to Help

Help people affected by disasters like floods, fires and countless other crises by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small, whenever and wherever they occur across the country. Visit redcross.org.

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- Written by Alana Mauger