ANCHORAGE, Alaska – In the wake of devastating flooding last weekend, the situation in remote Alaskan villages is dire, with more than 2,000 residents displaced and unlikely to return home for at least 18 months. Governor Mike Dunleavy has urgently appealed to the White House for a major disaster declaration to address the crisis.

Kipnuk, one of the most severely impacted communities, has seen an overwhelming 90% of its homes, totaling 121, destroyed, as detailed in Dunleavy’s report. In Kwigillingok, approximately one-third of the homes have become uninhabitable, with about three dozen having been swept away by the floodwaters.

This catastrophic event was triggered by the remnants of Typhoon Halong, which struck with the force equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane. The storm generated a powerful surge of high surf that inundated the low-lying areas. Tragically, one person has lost their life, two remain missing, and rescue teams have been actively saving dozens from their homes as they were carried off by the water.

Efforts are underway to evacuate residents from the affected Alaska Native villages. Over 2,000 people have sought refuge, finding shelter in local schools, relocating to larger communities in southwest Alaska, or being airlifted by military planes to Anchorage, the state’s largest city.

As of Friday, Anchorage officials were preparing for the arrival of up to 1,600 evacuees. The Alaska National Guard has already transported approximately 575 individuals to Anchorage, where they are being accommodated in facilities such as a sports arena and a convention center. Additional evacuations were scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

Officials are working on figuring out how to move people out of shelters and into short-term accommodations, such as hotels, and then longer-term housing.

“Due to the time, space, distance, geography, and weather in the affected areas, it is likely that many survivors will be unable to return to their communities this winter,” Dunleavy said. “Agencies are prioritizing rapid repairs … but it is likely that some damaged communities will not be viable to support winter occupancy, in America’s harshest climate in the U.S. Arctic.”

The federal government already has been assisting with search and rescue, damage assessments, environmental response and evacuation support. A major disaster declaration by President Donald Trump could provide federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure, including money for emergency and permanent work.

The three members of Alaska’s congressional delegation on Friday sent a letter to Trump, urging swift approval.

The storm surge pummeled a sparsely populated region off the state’s main road system where communities are reachable only by air or water this time of year. The villages typically have just a few hundred residents, who hunt and fish for much of their food, and relocating to the state’s major cities will bring a vastly different lifestyle.

Alexie Stone, of Kipnuk, arrived in Anchorage in a military jet with his brothers, children and mom, after his home was struck by the flooding. They’ve been staying at the Alaska Airlines Center at the University of Alaska, where the Red Cross provided evacuees with cots, blankets and hygiene supplies.

At least for the foreseeable future, he thinks he might try to find a job at a grocery store; he used to work in one in Bethel.

“It’s going to be, try to look for a place and find a job,” Stone said Friday. “We’re starting a new life here in Anchorage.”

Anchorage officials and business leaders said Friday they were eager to help the evacuees.

“Our neighbors in western Alaska have experienced tremendous loss, devastation and grief,” Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said at a meeting of the Anchorage Assembly. “We will do everything we can here in Anchorage to welcome our neighbors and help them through these difficult times.”

State Rep. Nellie Unangiq Jimmie, of Toksook Bay, on an island northwest of Kipnuk, described for the assembly how she rode out the storm’s 100 mph (161 kmh) winds with her daughter and niece.

“We had no choice but to sit in our home and wait to see if our house is going to come off the foundation or if debris is going to bust open our windows,” she said.

It didn’t, but others weren’t as fortunate. She thanked Anchorage for welcoming the evacuees.

“You are showing my people, my relatives, my constituents, even if they are far from home, this is still Alaska land and they’re amongst families,” Jimmie said.

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Johnson reported from Seattle.