FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2025
Contact: Reba Lean, Public Relations Manager
Phone: 907-443-9674
rlean@nshcorp.org
NOME – Norton Sound Health Corporation has resources available to regional residents who may be impacted by the ex-Typhoon Halong storm headed for the Norton Sound and Bering Strait region. Patients who are traveling for medical reasons may experience delays or cancellations and should keep in mind the following:
- If a patient is in Anchorage and they experience a flight cancellation, they should contact the corresponding authority:
- If traveling with ANMC Medicaid, contact the ANMC Travel Management Office
- If traveling with NSHC IHS, contact Nome Patient Travel (on the weekend, call 907-443-3323 or 443-4542)
- If traveling with HMS Medicaid, unrelated to ANMC, contact the State Travel Office to refund the ticket
- If a patient is in the region, and they experience a flight cancellation, they should contact the corresponding department:
- If in their home village, call their local CTC or Village Health Services (on the weekend, call 907-443-3323, or 443-4542 after hours)
- If in Nome, call Nome Patient Travel (on the weekend, call 907-443-3323 or 443-4542 after hours)
- If a patient experiences an unexpectedly long delay in Nome and is stuck at the airport, call the NSHC Patient Driver at 907-434-2718 for a ride to the Patient Hostel East, where there is food for those waiting.
- For other issues that arise during travel, please contact the Nome Patient Advocate at 907-443-4567 or the Anchorage-based Patient Advocate at 907-434-2844.
NSHC recommends patients around the region prepare for the worst and gather needed supplies for an emergency kit in advance. Prepare for the potential situation of up to seven days without power.
- Gather medications early. Call in for a prescription refill, and the Pharmacy will work to get it to you in time.
- Fill clean jugs, sinks and bathtubs with drinking water.
- Make sure you have enough food, including pet food, and personal hygiene items on hand to last seven days.
- Unscented, liquid household bleach is great to have on-hand in case you need to treat your drinking water for a while (but it must be unscented bleach). Read more about how to disinfect water in an emergency here.
- Have important contacts and their phone numbers written down and sealed in a Ziplock bag. This should also go in your family’s emergency kit.
- Know how your local leadership will be relaying information to everyone during the potential flooding. Listen and follow instructions from your local leadership.
- Avoid entering or coming into contact with floodwater unless absolutely necessary. Wash your hands and any skin that comes into contact with floodwater with soap and clean water.
In the event of a needed evacuation, everyone should be aware of their community’s emergency plan, so they know where to go and which routes to avoid. People should bring their emergency kits including all their important supplies with them during evacuations. In Nome, the City of Nome’s emergency shelter will be located at the Nome Recreation Center. Residents can expect flooding at low-lying areas and road closures and detours in those areas.
In impacted regional village communities, if there is a request for emergency supplies, please have a representative from a local organization reach out with a request to pr@nshcorp.org.
It is recommended to secure items around homes and yards and at any camps, especially those along the coast. Debris driven by the storm surge and wind is expected.
For any after-hours medical advice or behavioral health services, please call the 24-hour Provider Care Line at 907-443-6411 or at 1-844-586-8773.
