More than 30 people were rescued and three people remain unaccounted for in western Alaska after the remnants of Typhoon Halong brought hurricane-force winds and flooding strong enough to sweep away entire homes in coastal communities, authorities said.
Rescue aircraft were sent to the tiny Alaskan villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where there were reports of people possibly unaccounted for, said Jeremy Zidek, spokesperson for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“We have received reports that people’s homes have floated away and that people were potentially in those homes,” Zidek told The Associated Press.
In Kwigillingok, at least 18 people were rescued and three people remained unaccounted for, Alaska State Troopers said in a social media post on Sunday evening. In Kipnuk, at least 16 people were rescued and troopers had received secondhand reports of people who were unaccounted for. They were working with local officials to determine how many people were missing. Search efforts were expected to continue overnight as conditions allowed.
According to the nonprofit Coastal Villages Region Fund, nearly 600 people in Kipnuk were taking shelter at a school while around 300 people in Kwigillingok were sheltering in a school there. The area is among one of the most isolated in the U.S., where some communities have few roads and residents use boardwalks, boats and snowmobiles to get around, Zidek said.
“Every effort will be made to help those hit by this storm. Help is on the way,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement.
On the East Coast, forecasters warned that major coastal flooding was likely Monday in the mid-Atlantic, particularly from Virginia to New Jersey, with strong onshore winds, high surf and high tides. Coastal flooding was expected to peak Monday afternoon and improve gradually into Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
A nor’easter churned its way up the East Coast over the weekend, washing out roads and prompting air travel delays. Dangerous surf conditions were expected to continue Monday, bringing strong rip currents and beach erosion along many East Coast beaches, the weather service said. Wind gusts in excess of 55 mph (89 kph) remained possible along New Jersey, Long Island and southern New England through Monday afternoon.
The storm continued to sock coastal areas in New Jersey and New York City on Monday, with some minor to moderate flooding reported in those areas, but no major damage had occurred. The Columbus Day Parade in New York City was canceled.
The rain and winds that started late Saturday were expected to continue throughout the day before tapering off late Monday or early Tuesday. Forecasters said more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain could fall in some spots. The greatest threat for major flooding was expected to be in Long Island and southern New Jersey.
New Jersey was under a state of emergency and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an emergency declaration for eight southern counties, while urging people to avoid travel and monitor forecasts.
In Delaware, emergency management officials activated the state National Guard on Sunday in response to rising floodwaters and harsh winds. A voluntary evacuation order was issued for the town of Bowers Beach, where the Murderkill River flows into Delaware Bay.
In North Carolina’s Outer Banks, an area that’s seen significant storm damage this season, ocean overwash spread across Highway 12 near Buxton, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office posted online Sunday. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said crews were working to clear the highway that was closed on Ocracoke and Hatteras on Sunday.
The waves were ferocious at the Hatteras Island town of Buxton, where several beachfront homes have fallen into the water in recent weeks. One house was losing its pilings Sunday and appeared close to collapsing.
