Kipnuk Village Votes to Relocate After Typhoon

Kipnuk Village in Alaska Votes to Relocate After Devastating Flooding

Residents of Kipnuk, a Yupik village in Alaska, have voted overwhelmingly in favor of relocating their entire community of about seven hundred people following severe flooding from ex-Typhoon Halong last October. The low-lying coastal spot was overwhelmed by storm waters, forcing an airlift evacuation of nearly everyone. Tribal leaders are now exploring two potential new sites, despite resistance from state and federal officials who prefer rebuilding on the original land. The disaster has also affected nearby communities like Kwigillingok, with houses floating away and over one thousand six hundred people evacuated from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. Families are grappling with housing shortages, mental health struggles, and limited access to traditional hunting and fishing grounds. The state emergency management has called it the worst disaster in thirty-two years, and federal aid systems often fall short for remote rural and subsistence lifestyles. However, a recent court decision reinstated the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program, unlocking one billion dollars for disaster prep projects nationwide. The new homeland security secretarys Native American background is also seen as a positive sign for better support as these villages chart a path forward.

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