KOTZEBUE, Alaska (KTUU/Gray News) – A man and his two young children had to find higher ground at their Alaska home after a storm brought severe flooding to the remote area.

Jerry Jones and his 6- and 7-year-old boys had virtually nowhere to go to escape the flooding earlier this week, so they spent the night on the roof of their cabin, covered with a tarp and blankets.

A severe storm moved through the Kotzebue area and poor conditions prevented the family from being rescued on Tuesday.

Their boat was also lost in the flood.

“It was pretty stressful when (search and rescue) couldn't do anything from Kotzebue,” Jones said. “(They said) we had to hide and wait until the weather calmed down and they didn't have the resources to do anything.”

The father said they planned ahead and removed items from the house, but water rose over the windows that night.

“As it got dark outside, the waves got pretty big and started rocking the house,” he said. “At night, in the dark, that’s when it peaked.”

Needing to escape the rising water, the family decided to spend the night on the roof.

Rescue workers were able to bring the family to safety from a block of ice by helicopter on Wednesday morning.

“We picked her up in the helicopter, made sure she was safe and strapped her in,” said Tristen Pattee, a member of the rescue team.

After dropping off the family, the rescue team said they were also called to an area hospital to deliver whooping cough medication.

“This community has been pretty resilient,” Pattee said. “They have been through various struggles and no matter what situation arises, they always rise above the situation.”

Jones said his cabin was badly damaged but he plans to move further up the coast with his family.

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