ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) The house trembled as if struck by an earthquake, then suddenly began to float. Water started to trickle through the front door, while waves lashed against the large glass window.
In the sole dry room where Alexie Stone, along with his brothers and children, took refuge, they peered outside to see the world beneath the water, resembling an aquarium. A drifting shed approached, threatening to shatter the glass, but veered away just in time.
The house eventually settled a few feet from its original spot, halted by another structure that blocked its path. However, it was rendered uninhabitable, much like most of Kipnuk, Stone’s Alaska Native village. This came after a massive storm surge inundated parts of western Alaska, resulting in one fatality, two missing persons, and a large-scale evacuation that airlifted over 1,000 residents to safety.
“In our village, we always say we’re Native strong, with Native pride, and nothing can break us down. But this has been our toughest challenge,” Stone remarked on Thursday outside the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, where he and hundreds of others found shelter. “Everyone’s looking out for each other in there. We’re all grateful to be alive.”
