on october 11, 2025, the remnants of typhoon halong hit western alaska.
storm surge reached 6.6 feet above the typical high tide in kipnuk — shattering the previous record of 4.7 feet set in 2000. in kwigillingok, the surge hit 6.3 feet. homes floated away with families inside. ella mae kashatok, 67, died. two of her family members were never found.
in kipnuk, 90% of buildings were destroyed. the fresh water supply was contaminated by fuel and sewage. in kwigillingok, 35% of buildings were gone. over 1,600 people were displaced across nearly 50 communities — the largest airlift in alaska's history.
this was not an isolated disaster. this was usteq.
usteq is what happens when permafrost thaw, erosion, and flooding combine into cascading collapse — a slow emergency that doesn't fit federal disaster definitions, leaving over 115 alaska native communities without adequate protection.
the word
usteq (pronounced oos-tuk) is a yup'ik word meaning "to cave in." it describes what happens when thawing permafrost, flooding, and erosion combine into cascading collapse.
the yukon-kuskokwim delta has been home to yup'ik and cup'ik peoples for three thousand years. the land they've lived on — hunted on, fished on, built their culture on — is disappearing.
not gradually. catastrophically. in some places, three meters of land have collapsed into the sea in a single night.
the triple threat
usteq isn't one thing. it's three forces accelerating each other:
| threat | mechanism | impact |
|---|---|---|
| permafrost thaw | ice-rich ground (up to 80% frozen water) melts into saturite slush | foundations sink, floors drop inches per year, homes tilt and buckle |
| erosion | unfrozen coastline and riverbanks wash away | land that protected villages from the sea disappears |
| flooding | delayed sea ice formation leaves open water during storm season | waves hit land instead of ice, surges reach further inland |
the loop feeds itself. each flood accelerates thaw and erosion, which makes the next flood worse.
two disasters in one year
typhoon halong wasn't even alaska's only record flood in 2024–2025.
in august 2024, the mendenhall glacier's suicide basin released 14.6 billion gallons of water in a glacial outburst flood — the second record-breaking year in a row. the river crested at 15.99 feet, more than a foot higher than the previous record set just twelve months earlier.
over 100 homes in juneau were damaged. the basin keeps expanding as the glacier retreats, holding more water, releasing it faster.
glacier floods. storm floods. permafrost collapse. these aren't separate problems. they're symptoms of the same warming.
the policy gap
here's the cruel twist: usteq often doesn't qualify for federal disaster relief.
the stafford act — america's primary disaster law — defines disasters as sudden, event-driven occurrences. earthquakes. hurricanes. floods with clear start and end dates.
usteq is a compounding process. the ground doesn't collapse in one moment. it degrades over years until, suddenly, it's gone.
federal law isn't built for slow emergencies.
alaska has formally recognized usteq in its state hazard mitigation plans. communities like newtok have voted to relocate entirely — not because of a single disaster, but because their land will be uninhabitable within 10 to 15 years.
they're climate refugees within their own country.
the ensurance response
the $USTEQ coin funds protection for the ecosystems and communities facing these compounding threats.
where proceeds flow:
| beneficiary | focus |
|---|---|
| greater-alaska-taiga-tundra.bioregion | permafrost ecosystems, boreal habitat |
| far-north-pacific-coast.bioregion | coastal protection, marine systems |
| risk-resilience.ensurance | community adaptation, infrastructure |
| climate-stability.ensurance | systemic climate response |
the coin doesn't respond to a single disaster — it signals market support for systemic protection. when the ground caves in, communities need more than emergency response. they need infrastructure for a world that's already changing.
how to participate
- explore $USTEQ — buy, hold, or trade to generate proceeds
- see how proceeds flow — track where funds route
- browse all ensurance coins — find other causes to support
usteq is what happens when the earth stops holding together. ensurance is what happens when markets start.