Eric Stone, Alaska Public Media - Juneau

As evacuees from villages like Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, Nightmute and Tuntutuliak boarded military helicopters bound for safety, many had no choice but to leave their dogs behind.

The remnants of Typhoon Halong left a catastrophe in this Western Alaska village. The handful of people left there are determined — but face an immense challenge.

Hundreds have been evacuated in military helicopters and planes to Bethel and Anchorage. Now, state officials are assessing what it'll take to rebuild villages hit hard by the storm.

The disaster declaration would unlock federal resources to respond to the Lower Kuskokwim and Lower Yukon regions in Western Alaska, in addition to the Northwest Arctic Borough.

On Oct. 15 and 16, hundreds of people from Kipnuk and Kwigillingok boarded military transport planes headed for Anchorage, leaving their homes, belongings, and communities behind.

As authorities end their large-scale search, volunteers and village public safety officers (VPSOs) vowed to keep looking for two Kwigillingok residents whose home floated away in the storm.

The remnants of Typhoon Halong have killed one person, left two missing, displaced hundreds and destroyed or damaged dozens of homes.

A Coast Guard commander recounts scenes of Alaskans swimming in floodwaters in the middle of the night, in search of debris to hold onto.

The three people unaccounted for are from Kwigillingok, one of the communities devastated by the remnants of Typhoon Halong.

Forecasters say the powerful storm, potentially historic in strength, is expected to slam into the Y-K Delta early on Oct. 12 and then race up the coastline, bringing destructive winds and surging seas.