Alaska Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Kua Xiong, a services technician with the 176th Force Support Squadron, arrives in Toksook Bay, Alaska, via a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter assigned to A Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, to help clean up debris s part of Operation Merbok Response Sept. 24, 2022. More than 130 members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Naval Militia were activated after the remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused dramatic flooding across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan coastline. (Alaska National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Balinda O'Neal)
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Joint Task Force Alaska members have removed more than 125,000 pounds of debris and logged more than 2,000 work hours across 16 communities flooded by the remnants of Typhoon Merbok along the Western Alaska coast.
The task force was activated following a Sept. 17 disaster declaration. It includes 164 service members from the Alaska National Guard, the Alaska Naval Militia and the Alaska State Defense Force.
Alaska Army National Guard helicopters have flown more than 7,000 miles and logged more than 70 flight hours supporting Operation Merbok Response.
Task Force highlights by community:
Golovin – Since arriving Sept. 22, service members have logged nearly 300 work hours and removed more than 60,000 pounds of debris from the post office and 18 homes. A National Guard member removed more than 50,000 pounds of that debris using one of the community’s front-end loaders.
Hooper Bay – A team cleaned up more than 12,000 pounds of debris and equipment.
Shaktoolik – A team of service members cleaned up more than 54,000 pounds of debris.
Chevak – A team cleaned debris, removed downed trees and assessed damage.
Nightmute – A team conducted debris clean-up and assisted the community with damage assessment.
Toksook Bay – A team made multiple home and property repairs and cleared debris.
Kipnuk – Service members returned two boats to the water and helped town leaders assess damage.
Newtok – A team cleaned up debris and a fuel spill and restored power to an essential fuel pump.
Bethel – Task force members based out of the armory cleaned up along the river and removed debris from the VFW cemetery.
Nome – Task force members based out of the armory there assisted with community clean-up.
Missions continue in the communities of Koyuk, Golovin, St. Michael, Alakanuk and Chevak.
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