After a storm swamped remote communities in western Alaska, search and rescue efforts are underway using military and state air resources. [Credit: Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Facebook page]
Key Takeaways:
A powerful storm, remnants of Typhoon Halong, brought hurricane-force winds and over 6.3 feet of storm surge to western Alaska, causing widespread flooding and damage to communities.
U.S. military and Alaska aviation resources, including the National Guard and Coast Guard, mobilized extensive search and rescue operations in the affected region.
Joint rescue efforts have saved at least 51 lives in remote villages like Kipnuk and Kwigilingok, despite challenges posed by knocked-out communications and the region's isolated nature.
Aviation resources from the U.S. military and Alaska were mobilized to search for people missing after a powerful storm moved through western part of the state over the weekend.
State officials said the storm was the remnants of Typhoon Halong and brought with it hurricane-force winds.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.