A year after the remnants of Typhoon Halong brought severe flooding to Kipnuk, Alaska, repairs have advanced but a full return remains uncertain: the state estimates that 100 homes still need winterization, and relocation planning has no timetable. An Alaska State Emergency Operations Center update estimated that 90% of the village’s structures were lost. The storm’s disaster period ran from Oct. 8-13, 2025.
A May 29, 2026, presidential major-disaster declaration made the Native Village of Kipnuk eligible for permanent work under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program, Categories C-G. Federal funds can cover up to 75% of eligible costs. That assistance covers public works, while a separate state request concerns housing.
In a Feb. 12 letter, Alaska’s Office of Management and Budget said the state had requested FEMA’s Permanent Housing Construction Authority to help pay for replacement homes and repairs above the usual $44,800-per-household housing assistance limit. The letter estimated that affected residents could return to their communities, the region or a location they chose by late fall 2027 if state and federal programs and funding were secured on time. It did not establish a date for a community-wide return.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities estimated that winterizing 100 homes could make them livable by Thanksgiving, KYUK reported. The outlet also reported that 50 homes belonging to the Association of Village Council Presidents Regional Housing Authority had minor damage. Hog River Construction said more than 30 homes it repaired were ready for residents, KYUK reported.
About 20 houses displaced by floodwaters remain off their foundations; the state transportation department expects to move them back when the ground freezes, likely in January 2027, KYUK reported. Seven homes are awaiting demolition, KYUK reported. Leona Paul, who cooks for construction crews, told KYUK that some older residents found the prospect of returning overwhelming.
The tribe released relocation vote results March 20: more than 92% of the 662 adult members reached by phone voted to move the village, out of 799 eligible adults. The vote set no moving date. KYUK reported in October that relocation planning had made little progress and rebuilding remained the funded work.
Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesperson Jeremy Zidek told KYUK that FEMA had denied the state’s request for permanent housing funds to replace 219 severely damaged homes across Kipnuk, Kwigillingok and other villages, and that the state was preparing an appeal. FEMA did not answer KYUK’s questions before its report, so the denial was not confirmed by the agency.
The Lower Kuskokwim School District said Chief Paul Memorial School would stay closed until essential systems and facilities were repaired. The district planned to update families by Sunday, Nov. 1.
