Alaska
Images reveal Alaskan village battered by post-storm floods
The small indigenous Yup’ik village of Napakiak has been reeling from a series of powerful storms that have brought catastrophic flooding to the Alaskan community over the past week.
Residents were forced to scramble to secure their homes on Sunday after heavy rains caused the Kuskokwim River to suddenly swell, sending floodwaters rushing into the village.
Vehicles had to be moved to higher ground as currents washed through the town.
The water level rose over 3 feet, trapping numerous people in their homes despite them being elevated above the ground.
The village of Napakiak, Alaska, flooded after heavy rains and erosion over the weekend. Several people became stuck in their homes as the river water encroached on the area, which is home to 350 people.
Job Hale/AP
Residents are rescued from floodwaters in a front loader in Napakiak, Alaska. Local minister Job Hale was on hand to help people get to safety after the Kuskokwim River engulfed the village.
Job Hale/AP
Job Hale, the minister of the local Armory of God Baptist Church, was taken by surprise when flooding occurred outside the usual spring and fall seasons for which the community typically prepares, AP reported.
Using his front-loader tractor, Hale stepped in to rescue several residents who were stranded in their homes by the rising water.
He made several trips, transporting people to safety by having them climb into the bucket of his tractor to be lifted out of the flooded area.
The edge of Napakiak sits less than 50 feet from the Kuskokwim River, and erosion is marching up the banks 25 to 30 feet per year toward the community’s well water source and school building.
The floods forced the cancellation of a farewell party at the village school, which had to be closed due to its perilous location near the rapidly eroding riverbank.
Buildings submerged in Napakiak, Alaska. Three storms in the space of a week, coupled with severe erosion, left the village vulnerable to flooding.
Job Hale/AP
Buildings submerged in Napakiak, Alaska. The village sits just 50 feet from the banks of the Kuskokwim River.
Job Hale/AP
The erosion is partially driven by climate change, as warming temperatures cause permafrost—normally frozen soil—to thaw, destabilizing riverbanks.
In response to the urgent threat, Napakiak has secured $25 million from the Department of the Interior’s Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation Program, as well as state funding for the construction of a new school.
This funding will contribute to Napakiak’s ambitious 50-year plan to relocate the entire village to a new site two miles away from the eroding riverbank.
Water from an overflowing Kuskokwim River reaches the sides of buildings in Napakiak, Alaska. A bold 50-year plan is underway to relocate the village to safer ground.
Job Hale/AP
The total relocation costs are projected to exceed $200 million.
This weekend’s flood was the second storm to hit the Bethel region in recent days, with a third storm—the remnants of Typhoon Ampil—bringing more precipitation and strong winds to western Alaska on Tuesday.
No major injuries or significant property damage have been reported so far.
Residents are now bracing for the possibility of additional flooding as more rain is expected in the next few days.
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