3 missing and dozens rescued after remnants of a typhoon lash western Alaska

JUNEAU Alaska AP Three people were missing in western Alaska on Monday and more than had been rescued particular plucked from rooftops after the remnants of Typhoon Halong over the weekend brought hurricane-force winds and ravaging storm surges and floodwaters that swept various homes away agents mentioned Personnel warned of a long road to recovery and a need for continued sponsorship for the hardest-hit communities with winter just around the corner A U S Coast Guard official Capt Christopher Culpepper described the situation in the villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok as absolute devastation Elsewhere in the U S severe weather killed a woman in New York City who was struck by a solar panel and the Columbus Day Parade there also was canceled Rescuers in the Phoenix area discovered the body of a man whose truck was swept away by floodwaters and crews in southern California prepared for prospective mudslides in fire-ravaged areas Communities tally the toll on Alaska villages Alaska State Troopers announced at least people and two dogs were rescued in Kipnuk and Kwigillingok after the storm system walloped the communities Both areas saw crucial storm surge according to the National Weather Operation Three people remained unaccounted for in Kwigillingok troopers revealed and the agency was trying to confirm secondhand reports of people who were unaccounted for in Kipnuk According to the nonprofit Coastal Villages Region Fund the bulk of the residents in both communities had taken shelter in local schools In addition to housing concerns residents impacted by the system across the region revealed impacts such as power outages a lack of running water subsistence foods stocked in freezers ruined and damage to home-heating stoves The worst I ve ever seen Jamie Jenkins who lives in another hard-hit society Napakiak stated the storm was the worst I ve ever seen She described howling winds and fast-rising waters Sunday morning Her mother whose nearby home shifted on its foundation and a neighbor whose home flooded came over to Jenkins place They tried to wait out the storm she stated but when the waters reached their top stairs they got in a boat and evacuated to the school Jenkins commented practically the whole locality was there The men in town gathered their boats and went to house to house to pick up anyone else who was still in their homes she explained Jenkins was volunteering Monday bringing food to people in need Adaline Pete who lives in another neighborhood Kotlik disclosed she had never experienced winds so strong before An unoccupied house next door flipped over but she reported her family felt safe in their home and felt fortunate in the storm s aftermath Republican senators advocacy recovery resilience funds During a news conference organized by Gov Mike Dunleavy Alaska s two U S senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan stated they would continue to focus on setting resilience and infrastructure funds for Alaska Sullivan reported it was the congressional delegation s job to ensure the Trump administration and their colleagues understood the importance of such funds Earlier this year the Federal Urgency Management Agency mentioned it would end a undertaking aimed at mitigating accident risks The decision is being challenged in court Murkowski reported erosion mitigation projects take time to complete But our reality is we are seeing these storms coming certainly on a more frequent basis and the intensity that we re seeing seems to be accumulating as well and so the time to act on it is now because it s going to take us various time to get these in place she commented of such projects Murkowski stated she will be underscoring to the administration why such funds matter About people live in Kwigillingok a predominately Alaska Native society on the western shore of Kuskokwim Bay and near the mouth of the Kuskokwim River A review prepared for the local tribe in by the Alaska Institute for Justice explained the frequency and severity of flooding in the low-lying region had increased in modern years The analysis listed relocation of the public as an urgent need Erosion and melting permafrost pose threats to infrastructure and in several cases entire communities in Alaska which is experiencing the impacts of weather change California crews prepare for mudslides In California rescue crews with helicopters and bulldozers were being pre-positioned near wildfire burn areas to respond to prospective debris flows and mudslides as a major storm takes aim at the state A flood watch was issued starting late Monday for much of Southern California where several inches of rain were feasible through Tuesday To the north up to feet meter of mountain snow was predicted for parts of the Sierra Nevada Brumfield broadcasted from Cockeysville Maryland Associated Press reporter Jamie Stengle contributed from Dallas Source