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Kwigillingok operating on limited power following generator failure

Kwigillingok.
Darrel John
The Kuskokwim Delta coastal community of Kwigillingok is seen in the summer.

The Kuskokwim Delta coastal community of Kwigillingok is running on limited power, and the school has been closed for the remainder of the week following a generator failure on Dec. 3.

On Dec. 4, Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said that the situation was under control in the community.

"They are running on their smaller generator at this time, so there's power within the community. The school district is running on limited power to keep the water and sewer system heated," Zidek said. "We don't have any requests at this time to the state emergency operations center for any emergency needs."

Zidek said that the 400-person community is receiving assistance from the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), a state-owned corporation that supports rural electrical operations and provides services in cases of emergency.

According to a city employee, parts to repair the main generator are expected to arrive in the coming days, and Kwigillingok residents have been asked to unplug appliances and limit their power consumption as much as possible.

As of Dec. 5, the Kwigillingok School had not determined whether classes would resume next week, according to a social media post.

Evan Erickson is a reporter at KYUK who has previously worked as a copy editor, audio engineer and freelance journalist.