Powerful storm displaces thousands in Alaska

Kipnuk, Alaska. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Shannon Kearney, U.S. Coast Guard Arctic.

One person has died, and thousands of others have been displaced after a storm ravaged western Alaska earlier this week.

The storm delivered wind gusts of up to 160 km/h. The National Weather Service said there was a gust of 172 km/h in Kusilvak. There was also a dangerous storm surge, which caused major flooding along the coast. Kipnuk experiences a surge of 4.5 metres.

The storm itself had a long history; it was once Typhoon Halong. It formed earlier this month in the Philippine Sea and from there, crossed the ocean. It was not tropical when it hit Alaska.