Authorities have stated that the remnants of Typhoon Halong swept through the western part of Alaska, bringing hurricane-force winds and flooding which washed away coastal community homes, leaving 3 people missing. Meanwhile, a nor’easter storm hit the US East Coast, causing the death of a woman in New York City, while another storm in the Phoenix area led to one person going missing.
In the meantime, rescue teams in Southern California are making preparations for potential mudslides in wildfire-affected areas.
On Sunday, the remnants of the typhoon brought hurricane-force winds to certain areas, with rescue aircraft being dispatched to the small villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where reports of missing individuals have surfaced.
A spokesperson from the state’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Jeremy Zidek, told the Associated Press, “We’ve received reports of houses being washed away, potentially with people inside.”
The Alaska State Police posted on social media Sunday evening that at least 18 people were rescued in Kwigillingok with 3 still missing, and at least 16 people were rescued in Kipnuk. Search and rescue operations are expected to continue overnight as conditions allow.
According to data from the non-profit organization Coastal Villages Region Fund, nearly 600 people in Kipnuk and around 300 people in Kwigillingok are seeking refuge in schools. Zidek mentioned that this region is one of the most remote in the US, with some communities having limited road access, relying on boardwalks, boats, and snowmobiles for transportation.
Governor Mike Dunleavy stated in a release, “Every effort is being made to assist those impacted by this storm. Help is on the way.”
In New York City, a 76-year-old woman was fatally struck by a solar panel that fell from the roof of a parking structure outdoors on Sunday. The Department of Buildings in the city stated that strong winds had briefly sent the solar panel soaring 20 feet high.
In the outer banks of North Carolina, which had been severely damaged this season by storms, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office posted online on Sunday that ocean overflow had spread to Highway 12 near Buxton. The North Carolina Department of Transportation mentioned that crews were working to clear roads closed on Sunday in Ocracoke and Hatteras.
The town of Buxton on Hatteras Island saw surging waves, with several coastal properties collapsing into the water in recent weeks.
On the East Coast, meteorologists warned of a high risk of severe coastal flooding on Monday in the central Atlantic region, particularly from Virginia to New Jersey, due to strong onshore winds and huge waves. Rainfall in some areas could exceed 2 inches, with the greatest threat of major flooding expected on Long Island and southern New Jersey.
Over the weekend, a nor’easter disrupted travel along the East Coast, washing out roads and causing delays in air travel. According to data from FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, as of midday on Monday, there were 384 cancellations and 2,787 delays for flights in and out of the US, affecting many flights at Boston Logan International Airport and La Guardia Airport in New York.
In California, with a powerful storm approaching, rescue workers, helicopters, and bulldozers are on standby to deal with potential mudslides and debris flows.
Flood watches have been issued for much of California, with several inches of rain expected to begin late on Monday. In the northern region, parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains could see up to 3 feet of snowfall.
In the Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona, rescuers are searching for a man who went missing after his truck was washed away by floodwaters early Sunday morning. While the truck has been located, the search for the man continues.
Back on the East Coast, New Jersey is under a state of emergency, with Governor Kathy Hochul of New York issuing emergency declarations for eight southern counties, urging people to avoid travel and monitor weather forecasts.
In Delaware, emergency management officials activated the state National Guard on Sunday to address rising floods and strong winds. Meanwhile, the town of Bowers Beach issued a voluntary evacuation order at the mouth of the Murderkill River where it flows into the Delaware Bay.