Mass Airlift Underway as Alaska Storm Wipes Out Villages

Military helicopters and large transports rescue Alaskans whose homes were destroyed.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, October 17, 2025 at 02:43 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Alaska Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III aircrew, assigned to the 176th Wing, evacuate approximately 300 displaced western Alaska residents following Typhoon Halong, Oct. 15, 2025. [Credit: Alaska National Guard/Staff Sgt. Joseph Moon]

Key Takeaways:

Coastal Alaskan villages have been devastated by a powerful storm (remphnats of Typhoon Halong), wiping out entire communities, destroying homes, and causing at least one fatality.
A significant military-led airlift is underway to evacuate hundreds of displaced residents from the remote, damaged areas to shelters hundreds of miles away, as local capacity is overwhelmed.
The extreme remoteness and scale of destruction pose immense logistical challenges for relief efforts and damage assessment, raising concerns that villages may not be habitable before winter.

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What has been called one of the “most significant airlifts in Alaskan history” is underway as military helicopters and C-17s are transporting hundreds of people from coastal villages left devastated by a powerful storm that swept through the area on October 12.

The storm, fueled by the remnants of Typhoon Halong, washed away homes in low-lying areas, some of them with people still inside. At least one person was killed, and two others are missing.