Background Articles

With resources spread out over thousands of miles and dozens of communities, KYUK has tried to summarize what we know and don't know about the impact of the storm.

More than 120 responders are cleaning up oil and gas spills and restoring western Alaska communities after former Typhoon Halong’s storm-surge flooding. The U.S. Coast Guard and partners are recovering fuels and staging safe storage sites as winter conditions and limited daylight complicate work.

Communities such as Tuntutuliak and Napakiak are working to get homes and infrastructure ready for winter after the destruction caused by ex-Typhoon Halong.

As the remnants of Typhoon Halong drove flooding and 69 mph winds across Norton Sound, Unalakleet sheltered 88 evacuees from nearby Shaktoolik and moved elders to higher ground. Minor structural damage was reported in Shaktoolik, and flights began returning residents after the storm passed.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a disaster for western Alaska after an Oct. 8 storm brought flooding and storm surge that damaged homes and infrastructure, prompting a temporary evacuation in Kotzebue. Officials warn another, potentially stronger storm tied to the remnants of Typhoon Halong could bring 70–80 mph winds and further coastal impacts.

A powerful coastal storm brought flooding and damaging winds to western Alaska on Oct. 8, with severe flooding and evacuations in Kotzebue and high water reported across the Bering Strait/Norton Sound region. Communities are now preparing for a larger storm expected over the weekend, with state emergency operations activated.

Extreme weather 'Amy' brought destructive winds and flooding across Norway, damaging buildings and vehicles, causing landslides, and knocking out power to tens of thousands. Insurance firms received thousands of damage reports as cleanup began across multiple regions.

Tverrelvdalen School in Alta, Finnmark, closed on Thursday due to concerns about underlying quick clay. The municipality notified students and parents about the precautionary closure.

Authorities are still taking stock of Mendenhall River flooding, but new temporary riverfront barriers appear to have staved off the kind of severe damage seen in 2024.

Photos show flooding and structural damage in Severo-Kurilsk and Kamchatka after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake and tsunami struck Russia’s Far East on July 30, 2025.

A severe hailstorm in Calgary on July 13, 2025, caused $92 million in insured damage, highlighting the increasing frequency and severity of such events in Alberta's "Hail Belt" and underscoring the need for improved risk management and climate resilience strategies.

The Village of Gwa’yas’dums on Gilford Island will receive over $3.2 million from the Canadian federal government to reinforce its shoreline against climate-driven erosion and coastal flooding.

Better knowledge and mapping of existing infrastructure is leading to a new estimate of future thaw costs under varying climate scenarios.

A new study using advanced mapping techniques reveals that infrastructure damage costs in Alaska due to permafrost thaw could be significantly higher than previously estimated, potentially reaching $37B to $51B under medium and high emission scenarios.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada reports that the 2024 Jasper wildfire caused $1.2 billion in damages, making it the second costliest fire disaster in Canada.

Warming temperatures across the Arctic are causing permafrost to thaw and the ground to sink, prompting a new study to call for improved monitoring of these changes.

Warming temperatures are causing the ground to sink across parts of the Arctic, and a new study is urging better monitoring to track these dramatic changes."Our findings suggest that permafrost landscapes are undergoing geomorphic change that is impacting hydrology, ecosystems, and human infrastru

A severe windstorm with gusts nearing 75 mph tore off the roof of a home in Anchorage, Alaska, captured on security footage.

In the early hours of Friday, Sept. 27, Hurricane Helene swept through the Upstate. Seven people were killed by the storm in Greenville County, among nearly 50 in South Carolina. Helene was the deadliest hurricane in state history.

In Nuuk, a large construction crane has collapsed due to a storm, with no reported injuries.