Alaska villages devastated by flooding face difficult decision as coastal flooding, erosion is continuous

Western Alaska tribes are resilient, facing increasing perils from climate change as coastal erosion threatens their villages. However, October’s floods are making some wonder how many times they must recover before rebuilding is too much.

Earlier this month, a powerful coastal storm fueled by the remnants of Typhoon Halong brought wind gusts of up to 100 mph and storm surges, flooding towns and villages in Western Alaska, including the villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. The storm killed at least one and displaced more than a thousand people.

Louise Paul, 61, is a life-long resident of Kipnuk and has been helping her community as a Community Service Representative for the Coastal Villages Region Fund. Coastal flooding and erosion are ongoing threats to this community, and many other vi