Work continues in Kwigillingok, Alaska, as Hog River Construction crews make steady progress on critical infrastructure and housing recovery efforts caused by Typhoon Halong, including moving homes back to their original locations after being displaced by the storm.

Cruz Construction completed helical pile installation near the church and continued installing boardwalk decking to the sewage lagoon. Crews also installed sleepers near the church, now approximately 1/3 complete, while clearing snow debris at the 10-unit housing site, completing layouts at the village store, and relocating the layout yard for warmer-weather material staging.

To date, 2,256 helical piles and 4,622 linear feet of boardwalk have been installed.

Brice/STG continued monitoring critical infrastructure, with electricians on standby to assist linemen in connecting houses to power.

Delta Backhaul continues 24/7 helical installation operations, with one SANY excavator actively driving helicals. Crews also continued installing sleepers, sway bars, and boardwalk, bringing the total to 456 helicals installed to date.

Hog River Construction also continued moving and leveling houses, drying and thawing homes, removing damaged materials, and installing new materials as needed.

Facilities Daily Report

• Work performed by Hog River Construction.
• #K39: Moved house to new location: two miles.
• #K42: Continued sheeting.
• #K58: Installed new toilet, added glycol to boiler system, replaced shower valve.
• #K62: Fixed water line leak and serviced boiler.
• #K63: Finished stairs, roof repair, repaired wall on bathroom addition.
• #K64: Insulated wall and began vapor barrier.
• #K66: Finished installing Tyvek and underlayment; began foam board installation.
• #K72: Finished post and pad with bracing; cleaned out and prepped for stripping.
• #K74: Built and installed fuel stand.
• #K77: Continued drying out floor.
• General: Pre-fabricated parts for septic repair.
• 30 team members onsite.

West Coast Storm Response and Recovery Metrics as of 4/8/2026

$120M+ Expended to Date
8 Active Prime Contractors
10 Communities with Active Work
14 Million Pounds of Cargo
6,100+ Helical Piles Driven
11,000+ Feet of Boardwalk Installed
85+ Homes Moved Back Into Place
220+ Homes Substantially Complete
150+ Homes in Progress
20 Communities with Emergency Repairs Mostly Complete

Beyond the Metrics 

Hog River Construction continues to support recovery efforts in West Coast communities impacted by Typhoon Halong by relocating homes back to their original locations. To date, more than 85 homes have been successfully moved back into place.

This is a careful and time-intensive process. Preparing each home so the lifting system can be positioned underneath can take up to 24 hours. Once sufficient space is created, specialized inflatable lifting equipment is used to raise the structure slightly, allowing crews to place sleds beneath the home. The home is then carefully towed back to its designated location.

Each home relocated represents an important milestone in the ongoing recovery and rebuilding effort, helping restore safe housing and support community recovery.

Cruz: Crews completed the helical pile installation near the church and continued installing boardwalk decking out toward the sewage lagoon. Sleepers were also installed near the church, with approximately one-third of that work now complete. Additional work included clearing snow debris at the 10-unit housing area and completing layouts at the village store and Bill’s house. The layout yard is being relocated to a more suitable staging area for materials as warmer temperatures approach. To date, 2,903 helical piles have been installed, and 4,204 linear feet of boardwalk have been completed.

Brice/STG: Crews continued monitoring critical infrastructure throughout the day. Electricians remain available to assist linemen with connecting houses to power as soon as Hog River is ready.

Delta Backhaul: Day and night shifts continue with 24/7 helical pile installation operations, with one SANY excavator currently driving helicals. Crews also continued installing sleepers, sway bars, and associated hardware, along with ongoing boardwalk installation. A total of 422 helical piles have been installed to date.

Hog River: Crews continued moving and leveling houses, setting dog houses for installation, and drying and thawing structures. Wet and damaged materials were removed from homes and replaced with new materials as needed.

Facilities Daily Report – Work performed by Hog River Construction:

• K38: Continued post and pad work, now approximately 75% complete
• #K39: Began lifting preparation for relocation and repaired beams
• #K41: Installed second Toyo stove and reinstalled floor insulation
• #K42: Installed second Toyo stove, reinstalled floor insulation, and removed wall insulation three feet up
• #K57: Installed new fuel tank and filter
• #K62: Repaired boiler, prepared for water service, and air-tested lines
• #K63: Installed Toyo stove and continued drying out the structure
• #K64: Cleaned out the structure and prepared for interior wall stripping
• #K65: Moved the structure to its new location and constructed a ramp at the new site
• #K66: Installed Toyo stove, prepared the floor, and began insulation installation
• #K74: Continued T1-11 repairs, finished stairs, and began site cleanup around the house
• #K77: Continued structural dry-out

Additional general tasks included continued cargo transportation from the airport. A total of 32 team members are currently onsite.

In October, Western Alaska was impacted by two major storms caused by Typhoon Halong. Since then, Alaska DOT&PF’s West Coast Storm Response and recovery efforts have continued across 40+ affected communities.

To date, more than $110 million has been invested in critical restoration work, with eight active prime contractors supporting efforts on the ground. Crews have driven over 4,500 helical piles, installed more than 6,500 feet of boardwalk, and delivered over 13 million pounds of materials to impacted areas.

Recovery progress continues, with 70+ homes moved back into place, 200+ homes substantially complete, and 150+ homes currently in progress. These efforts are helping restore safe access to homes, community facilities, and critical transportation routes throughout Western Alaska.

Thank you to our crews, contractors, partners, and the communities we serve for your continued resilience, patience, and collaboration as we work to restore access, stability, and infrastructure throughout Western Alaska.

Alaska DOT&PF continues to support communities impacted by the 2025–2026 West Coast storms caused by Typhoon Halong. Our teams remain engaged in emergency response and recovery efforts across Western Alaska, working to restore critical infrastructure, improve access, and support impacted communities.

Current work includes ongoing damage assessments, emergency repairs to transportation infrastructure, airport and roadway access restoration, coordination with local partners, and real-time field reporting from crews and contractors.

To date we have:

• Eight prime contractors
• 4,500+ helical piles driven
• 6,500+ feet of boardwalk installed
• 13,000,000 lbs of materials delivered so far
• 70+ homes moved back into place
• 200+ homes substantially complete
• 150+ homes in progress 

We remain committed to keeping Alaskans informed as response and recovery efforts continue. Thank you to our crews, partners, and communities for your continued resilience and support.

For many communities impacted by the West Coast Storm, boardroads aren’t just pathways — they are the roads.

When the flooding receded, it left behind damaged routes and disrupted daily life. An estimated 60–80% of pedestrian access networks were impacted, with more than 12 miles of boardroad damaged across 13 communities.

These boardroads carry more than footsteps. They carry children to school, families to work, and neighbors to one another.

Now, crews are working alongside contractors and local hires to rebuild these vital connections, restoring each section with care and purpose. In Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where the storm hit hardest, crews are operating 24 hours a day to accelerate repairs and restore access as quickly as possible.

Every boardroad repaired is another step toward normalcy. Another path reopened. Another way home restored.

Rebuilding isn’t just about structures. It’s about restoring access, safely and confidently, one board at a time.

With communities evacuated and winter stretching long and unyielding, the first priority was simple: get supplies back in so rebuilding could begin and families could return.
From the very beginning of response efforts, before winter set in and throughout the long months that followed, more than 8 million pounds of supplies have been moved to support recovery.

When other routes became limited, crews adapted. Using snowmachines and PistenBully Snowcats, they carved paths across frozen ground to keep materials moving when it mattered most.

Through these ground efforts, nearly 2.7 million pounds of supplies have now been delivered:

1.5 million pounds by PistenBully Snowcats
1.2 million pounds by snowmachine
They carried more than cargo.
They carried the promise of coming home.
Each load is a step forward.
A light switched back on.
A door opened again.
A family preparing to return.
Rebuilding doesn’t happen all at once.
It happens mile by mile.
Pound by pound.
Together.

The West Coast storm brought powerful winds, coastal surge, and flooding strong enough to lift homes from their foundations — some carried as far as 4 miles away.

Today, the work continues, Rebuilding the community and bringing families back home.

So far, 15 homes have been returned, and 11 remain as recovery efforts continue. Each home is carefully assessed, repaired, reinforced, and moved back into place to ensure it is safe and stable.

Recovery is about more than cleanup, it’s about restoring stability, rebuilding stronger, and moving forward together.

Senate Transportation Legislature Presentation (2025 - 2026)
Presentation: Typhoon Halong Response
Deputy Commissioner Katherine Keith, Merle Sena, and Amber Shumpert

On February 17, 2026, the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities presented to the Senate Transportation Committee on the State’s response to Typhoon Halong. Deputy Commissioner Katherine Keith, Merle Sena, and Amber Shumpert provided an overview of preparedness efforts, emergency operations, infrastructure impacts, and coordinated recovery actions across affected regions. The presentation highlights lessons learned and ongoing work to strengthen Alaska’s resilience to extreme weather events.

Download Slide Deck       Download Response Letter

Video Update Series

Infrastructure Losses and Community Impacts

Advanced Field Intelligence and Rapid System Response

Winter Emergency Repairs and Ongoing Operations

Innovating Emergency Response

Alaska DOT&PF is transforming emergency response through rapid, technology-enabled assessments that deliver real-time insight when and where it matters most. This innovative approach accelerates damage assessments, improves responder safety, reduces reliance on costly aircraft, and expands access to advanced tools for communities across Alaska.

During the West Coast Storm response, DOT&PF deployed agile response teams supported by resilient communications and advanced imaging - completing assessments for 35 communities in just three days and generating actionable data to support faster, safer decision-making statewide.

By pairing cutting-edge technology with local partnerships, Alaska is not only responding to emergencies more effectively but also building long-term community capacity.

October 21, 2025

• In under 2 weeks, 20 scopes of work were launched in 16 communities, mobilizing 7 contractors for storm recovery
• Within 30 days, 1,480 tons of gravel and a dozer were delivered on October 14, 2025. Two-three more barge loads are on the way.
• On October 21, 2025, contractors sling loaded fuel from Bethel to Kongiganak.

October 20, 2025

• Teams within the Bethel Emergency Operations Center made contact with 75% of the impacted communities

October 15, 2025

• SEOC moved to Preparedness Level 4 - Major Incident Response, Alaska SEOC's highest level. 
• Established Bethel Emergency Operations Center.

October 13–14, 2025

• October 14, 2025: Kipnuk Airport is open following repair work completed by our Maintenance & Operations team. About 82% of Alaska communities are inaccessible by road and depend on aviation for year-round access, making this milestone vital for community connectivity and recovery.
• Runway access restored in key communities; National Guard, DOT&PF, and SEOC coordinated supply deliveries, shelter operations, and damage verification. Recovery planning and data collection intensified.

October 13, 2025

• Announced we have 10 2-person teams are in the field conducting community assessments, drone mapping, and data collection in priority locations.
• Governor Dunleavy Schedules Press Conference on West Coast Storm Response

October 10–12, 2025

• Search and rescue operations saved 51 people in Kipnuk and Kwigillingok.
• The disaster declaration was expanded to include additional communities.