Utah volunteer heads to Alaska after storm devastates coastal villages

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A volunteer with American Red Cross of Utah is heading to Anchorage, Alaska, to support victims of Typhoon Halong, which caused severe flooding and displaced thousands along Alaska’s western coastline, according to the Red Cross.

Flooding caused by the remnants of Typhoon Halong destroyed countless homes and displaced more than 2,000 people living along Alaska’s west coast this week, according to the Red Cross. The incident has prompted a national response, with hundreds of disaster relief workers being called into action.

The storm brought “extreme winds and storm surges that inundated villages and destroyed homes,” a press release from the Red Cross states. Two remote communities in particular, Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, were reportedly among the hardest hit.

These remote villages are accessible only by air or sea, officials said. Residents were rescued by helicopter and first transported to a shelter in Bethel, where disaster relief volunteers provided assistance.

Veteran Utah Red Cross volunteer Steven Nielson, of Sandy, deployed to Anchorage on Thursday, where evacuees are being airlifted 400 miles from their home villages. Nielson will serve as part of the government and elected officials liaison team, working closely with local leaders to identify each community’s unique needs and ensure Red Cross provides targeted support where it is needed most.

Nielson has deployed more than 30 times since 2009. He is now joining hundreds of Red Cross responders from across the country, who are on 21-day deployments to provide critical aid to those affected by the disaster.

Through the American Red Cross, these volunteers work closely with local, state, and tribal officials to provide safe shelter, meals, emergency relief supplies, emotional support, and health services.

“When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross answers the call, no matter where help is needed,” said Jeremiah Lafranca, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Greater Salt Lake Chapter. “Our volunteers are dedicated to providing comfort, shelter, and hope to those impacted by the devastating flooding in Alaska, helping them take the first steps toward rebuilding their lives and communities.”

ABC4 also spoke with Jeremiah LaFranca, executive director at Red Cross for the greater Salt Lake Area, about the victims of this disaster.

“The challenge with this is, of course, they’re leaving with nothing but any what they have on their backs,” LaFranca said. “Everything is a total loss. It’s 2000 people have been displaced heading into winter.”

“When you think about Alaska, these are people that have been hunting, fishing, preparing for winter, that’s all gone now,” he said. “So we’ll be up there for several months assisting and helping with recovery.”

While one Utah volunteer is already headed out, LaFranca said there will be more joining soon.

“We’re going to have several hundred volunteers up there and that’s going to continue to rotate in and out. We have volunteers going up for a three-week deployment right now,” LaFranca said. “And then in the coming weeks, we’ll be sending out more.”

LaFranca emphasized that the complication with this situation is that the affected region is a remote area in Alaska. He also mentioned that the area is mostly made up of Alaska Natives.

“There’s a lot of tribal population there,” he said. “And so we want to make sure that we are adequately serving the culture and the tribal needs that exist there. So we’re going to be working with leaders from the tribes as well as the state.”

Red Cross is setting up a large shelter in Anchorage that will be hosting at least 2,000 people, LaFranca told ABC4. He said they want to be prepared as winter approaches and another storm is on the way.

“We’re watching these remote villages and we’re making sure that we’re in place that way,” he said. “If something more does occur, we’re ready to go.”

You can donate to those affected by the flooding and storms in Alaska here. You can also sign up to volunteer here.