JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The mass evacuation by military aircraft of hundreds of residents from Alaska villages ravaged by the remnants of Typhoon Halong is complete, and officials and local leaders are turning attention to trying to stabilize damaged infrastructure and housing where they can before the winter freeze sets in.

The focus of major response efforts following back-to-back storms that battered western Alaska has been the Yup’ik communities of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, which are near the Bering Sea and have histories of flooding. While more than a dozen communities reported damage from the remnants of Halong earlier this month, Kipnuk and Kwigillingok were devastated by storm surge and water levels that reached record highs.

Homes were swept away, some with people inside. Winds in the region shook and tossed buildings like toys. First responders recounted rescuing people from rooftops. One person died, and two remain missing.

Initial estimates suggest 90% of buildings were destroyed in Kipnuk, with the fresh water supply seemingly contaminated by fuel and sewage, according to a report released Monday by Alaska’s emergency management division. About 35% of buildings in Kwigillingok were destroyed, the report states.

An Alaska Native organization seeks additional action

The Alaska Federation of Natives passed a resolution during its annual convention that ended Saturday in support of expansive, urgent and ongoing help for the region.

The group is the largest statewide Native organization in Alaska, and its meeting in Anchorage coincided with the temporary relocation last week of hundreds of people to shelters in the city, which is Alaska’s largest and about 500 miles (804.7 kilometers) from some of the tiny villages where residents rely heavily on hunting and fishing as part of their culture.

The resolution urges the state and federal governments to make sustained investments in permanent Alaska Arctic infrastructure and protective measures, and to strengthen ties with tribes to ensure a consistent federal presence and equitable access to resources for remote communities across the Bering Sea and Arctic regions.

The remoteness of the region requires goods to be shipped in by barge or brought in by air. Hunting and fishing helps supplement food available at local groceries that can be limited and often expensive.

Anchorage welcoming displaced students

On Monday, 65 displaced students began classes in Anchorage schools. Anchorage School District staff over the weekend met with families in the shelters set up in the city and helped register children for school, the district said in a statement.

“This transition carries both emotional and cultural weight. Our schools will be places of belonging, healing and hope, where every child feels safe, valued and connected,” he said. “Honoring each student’s culture, language and relationships will be essential to helping them heal and rebuild their sense of home.”

Working against the clock, and winter

Focus by the state has shifted to sending personnel and supplies into communities to help restore damaged infrastructure and assist with emergency home repairs. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp., which is involved in recovery efforts and provides health care in the region, anticipates freeze up — when rivers begin to freeze over — within weeks.

As authorities work to return people home or find other accommodations, efforts to stabilize and repair infrastructure continue to be vital.