On Thursday night, the Newtok Ayaprun School power plant caught fire after the generator ran out of fuel. The power plant was destroyed; however, no other structures are reported damaged, according to the State Emergency Operations Center, in a Friday report.
The school is not connected to the village power source and the community is working with the Lower Kuskokwim School District to provide a temporary generator to keep heat and water on in the school.
The Newtok washeteria is also not working and residents have been using Ayaprun School as their water source. The village had not made any immediate requests for assistance, and the plan was to further assess damages, the SEOC reported. The agency is coordinating with local, state, tribal and other partners in support of the community.
The village, located about 95 miles north of Bethel, has about 200 residents. Newtok Ayaprun School has a fluctuating enrollment as students relocate to Mertarvik, where there is a new school built at the townsite where the entire community is planning to move, due to coastal erosion. In the 22-23 school year, there are approximately 40 students with three certified teachers, three Yugtun speaking teachers, and additional support staff at Newtok Ayuprun.
