Kivalina Construction Tower Falls, Cutting Power and Water to Part of Village

A construction tower toppled in Kivalina during Friday night's storm, knocking out power lines and leaving part of the village without electricity, according to the State Emergency Operation Center. The outage also cut service to the water plant and access to clean water, said Colleen Swan, volunteer search and rescue manager and coordinator for Kivalina.

About 175 people sheltered at the school overnight, where heat and power remained on. Some residents are still using the school as a shelter while power is being restored to the rest of the village. "Hopefully the AVEC lineman will make it in to restore power to the electricity for people's home. Mostly, the reason for some of the families to evacuate from their homes was because of the power and its already cold," Swan said.

Alaska Village Electric Cooperative posted on its Facebook page that crews are on the way to the Bering Strait region and Kuskokwim Delta, with scheduled stops first in Kivalina, Shishmaref and Goodnews Bay.

Nome Council Road is closed at Mile 17 because of a washout, the Department of Transportation said. The agency reported it has not been able to reach the damaged area or begin repairs.

Communities across western Alaska are still working through damage from Friday's storm, and the State Emergency Operation Center said some residents remain evacuated.