Coastal flood warning for Kipnuk and Kwigillingok canceled as storm tracks south

The storm that had Kipnuk and Kwigillingok preparing for flooding like the August 2024 storm passed south of the Kuskokwim Delta coast. The National Weather Service canceled its coastal flood warning for the two villages Friday night.

"Water levels along the Kuskokwim Delta coastline have receded," the cancellation said.

Forecasters had lowered their expectations Friday morning. They cut the forecast to 0.6 to 1.6 feet above the normal high-tide line and said significant flooding was no longer expected, though minor flooding was still possible at Kwigillingok and Kipnuk. Earlier in the week, they had forecast up to 2.5 feet, and as much as 5 feet in a worst case. They had said water at 2.5 feet would bring impacts like the August 2024 storm. The state had relayed NOAA's view that this storm, the remnants of Typhoon Dujuan, would be less severe than the remnants of Typhoon Halong last October.

Inland, the weather service canceled its flood watch for Kwethluk, Kasigluk, Bethel and nearby villages Friday morning. It said water levels were expected to drop without significant flooding.

The flooding recorded this week came before the storm, from the rivers. On Monday, the State Emergency Operations Center reported one home flooded in Kasigluk, high water around other homes and a possible oil sheen. It tied the high water to the Johnson and Kuskokwim rivers. In Kwethluk, it reported water about 6 to 8 feet above normal, surrounding several homes and the new school and affecting some roads.

Kipnuk and Kwigillingok have been hit hard before. Both received federal disaster declarations after the August 2024 storm. After the remnants of Typhoon Halong struck in October 2025, FEMA approved $62.7 million in help for households across western Alaska, and it recorded 285 registrations for assistance from Kipnuk and 129 from Kwigillingok. Kipnuk also received its own disaster declaration for that storm.

The state emergency operations center stayed at its heightened-awareness level all month. It said it contacted communities in the warning area and stayed in touch with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. The center can be reached at 907-428-7100 or [email protected].