Dozens rescued as remnants of typhoon hits Alaska while nor'easter brings flooding to East Coast

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More than 30 people were rescued and three people remain unaccounted for in western Alaska after the remnants of Typhoon Halong brought hurricane-force winds and flooding strong enough to sweep away entire homes in coastal communities, authorities said.

Elsewhere in the U.S., severe weather killed a woman in New York City who was struck by a solar panel. Rescuers in the Phoenix area, meanwhile, searched for a man whose truck was swept away by floodwaters and crews in southern California prepared for potential mudslides in fire-ravaged areas.

In Alaska, rescue aircraft were sent to the tiny villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where there were reports of people possibly unaccounted for, said Jeremy Zidek, spokesperson for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

“We have received reports that people’s homes have floated away and that people were potentially in those homes,” Zidek told The Associated Press.

In Kwigillingok, at least 18 people were rescued and three people remained unaccounted for, Alaska State Troopers said in a social media post on Sunday evening. In Kipnuk, at least 16 people were rescued and troopers had received secondhand reports of people who were unaccounted for. Search efforts were expected to continue overnight as conditions allowed.

According to the nonprofit Coastal Villages Region Fund, nearly 600 people in Kipnuk and about 300 people in Kwigillingok were taking shelter in schools. The area is among one of the most isolated in the U.S., where some communities have few roads and residents use boardwalks, boats and snowmobiles to get around, Zidek said.

“Every effort will be made to help those hit by this storm. Help is on the way,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement.

In New York City, a 76-year-old woman was killed Sunday when she was struck by a solar panel that broke off from the top of a carport structure in an outdoor parking lot. Strong winds sent the panel flying about 20 feet through the air, the city’s Buildings Department said. Her name has not been released.

In North Carolina’s Outer Banks, an area that’s seen significant storm damage this season, ocean overwash spread across Highway 12 near Buxton, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office posted online Sunday. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said crews were working to clear the highway that was closed on Ocracoke and Hatteras on Sunday.

The waves were ferocious at the Hatteras Island town of Buxton, where several beachfront homes have fallen into the water in recent weeks. One house was losing its pilings Sunday and appeared close to collapsing.

On the East Coast, forecasters warned that major coastal flooding was likely Monday in the mid-Atlantic, particularly from Virginia to New Jersey, with strong onshore winds, high surf and high tides. Coastal flooding was expected to peak Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The nor’easter churned its way up the East Coast over the weekend, washing out roads and prompting air travel delays. There were 384 cancelations and 2,787 delays within, into, or out of the United States by midday Monday, with many of those disruptions affecting Boston Logan International and LaGuardia Airport in New York, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.

The Columbus Day Parade in New York City was also canceled.

Dangerous surf conditions were expected to continue Monday, bringing strong rip currents and beach erosion along many East Coast beaches, the weather service said. Forecasters said more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain could fall in some spots. The greatest threat for major flooding was expected to be in Long Island and southern New Jersey.

In California, rescue crews with helicopters and bulldozers were being pre-positioned near wildfire burn areas to respond to potential debris flows and mudslides as a major storm takes aim at the state. A flood watch was issued starting late Monday for much of Southern California, where several inches of rain were possible through Tuesday. To the north, up to 3 feet (1 meter) of mountain snow was predicted for parts of the Sierra Nevada.

In the southern portion of metro Phoenix, crews were searching for a man whose truck was swept away early Sunday in floodwaters. Officials called to the area southeast of Buckeye said the truck has been recovered, while the search for the man continues.

Back on the East Coast, New Jersey was under a state of emergency and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an emergency declaration for eight southern counties, while urging people to avoid travel and monitor forecasts.

In Delaware, emergency management officials activated the state National Guard on Sunday in response to rising floodwaters and harsh winds. A voluntary evacuation order was issued for the town of Bowers Beach, where the Murderkill River flows into Delaware Bay.