Land In Focus: Calista Brice Crews Aiding Typhoon Response

Presented by the Calista Land & Natural Resource Department

Storyknife, January/February 2026 edition

In the aftermath of Typhoon Halong’s devastation in Western Alaska, government agencies and nonprofits turned to construction experts in our Calista Brice holding line to provide disaster-related emergency repairs in more than a dozen impacted communities.

Through Brice Inc., STG Incorporated and related subsidiaries, Calista Brice has decades of experience managing large construction projects and hiring locally in the same communities hit by the typhoon.

The subsidiaries had work crews and equipment in Kipnuk starting October 23, the beginning of myriad repairs to village infrastructure across the Calista Region.

“We found Kipnuk the hardest hit, with catastrophic damages across the entire village. We would later find that Kwigillingok also sustained significant damage, with many homes, community buildings and critical infrastructure completely destroyed,” says Brice Inc. Project Manager Sherri Kelly.

As of early December, Calista Brice companies had typhoon-related assignments in Tununak, St. Mary’s, Napaskiak, Napakiak, Akiak, Tuntutuliak, Kongiganak, Mountain Village, Pilot Station, Pitkas Point and Kwethluk, on behalf of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, the Association of Village Council Presidents and others. Calista Brice also deployed to Kotzebue and Deering, two NANA Region villages damaged by another storm just days before Halong.

Approximately 20 residents of affected villages were hired through STG to support that work as laborers, pipefitters/welders, operators and cooking staff.

Kelly provided this Q&A in early December about Calista Brice’s storm response, which has been edited for length.

Can you describe some of the project’s difficulties?

Fuel, food and water in the villages were contaminated by the storm and much of the supporting infrastructure was damaged or destroyed. Crews did the best they could to find and repair housing to livable conditions. It took weeks to restore some semblance of normalcy, with regard to having functioning power, water, sewer and unobstructed access on site.

Crews, which included local skilled craftsmen and laborers, conducted much of the work by hand, as it is not always possible to have the assistance of heavy equipment on site. Soft, swampy, not-yet-frozen ground, combined with the destroyed boardwalks made site access impossible in some locations until the crews could complete temporary boardwalks repairs.

Multiple storms have pounded the coast since Typhoon Halong, creating a need for rework on some areas where work had just been completed. With the exponential growth and need for services in Bethel, housing, materials, supplies, and flights to deliver personnel, equipment and supplies became scarce and difficult to obtain. The local communities saw an influx of workers and emergency response personnel, all trying to assist with as much as they can accomplish before everything is frozen in for winter.

Can you talk about conditions the crews experienced?

Many team members worked non-stop through Thanksgiving, with some still scheduled to work through Christmas. The sites have grown cold and dark, with bitter winds, snow and freezing rain pounding on the crews as they continue to work hard outside in inclement conditions to restore critical infrastructure to the villages. A recent ice storm damaged power poles and powerlines that had been rebuilt and reset in Kwigillingok—a heartbreaking and frustrating setback for an incredible crew that worked tirelessly to restore power to the village. With undeniable strength, dedication and determination, the crews are repairing the power poles and power lines again and have already made great progress in repairing damage caused by the ice storm.

Many people do not want to keep working in the harsh conditions that we face each day. Yet we continue on each day, with the united hope and purpose of being able to return as many families as we can to their beloved villages and homes.

The hard work and heart that the team has put into this project can only be measured by the joy seen in the faces of the families when they are able to return home. And yet, the solemn reminder remains each day, that some lost everything and do not have a home to return to.

What are some things that you feel good about accomplishing?

Providing food, shelter, electricity and water fairly quickly to everyone working in support of the emergency response is a great feeling, as it allowed more of the community residents to remain in the village and help with the numerous projects needing immediate response.

Seeing and hearing a child’s laughter, giving a hug to someone who has lost everything, being there with moral support and kindness to everyone in need around you, and quite literally bringing light back into the darkness are rewards not measured by time and money, but rather by providing comfort, support, hope and restoration for generations to come.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

We would like to thank everyone involved—all of the companies, community members, flight crews and support personnel who worked together in this enormous, collective effort to help those in need. Always remember to be kind and to leave people, places and things better than you find them, for you never know what battle someone is fighting.