MERTARVIK, Alaska (AP) — As a child growing up by the Ninglick River in western Alaska, Ashley Tom often peered out her window after fierce storms from the Bering Sea, disturbed to see the riverbank gradually eroding closer to her home.

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In the village of Newtok, she learned valuable skills from her great-grandmother, who taught her to sew and crochet on their sofa, which she later used in school projects that involved making headdresses, mittens, and baby booties from seal or otter fur. Her grandmother also passed on the delicate craft of weaving grass baskets and taught her the Yupik language.

Today, erosion and melting permafrost have nearly obliterated Newtok, consuming around 70 feet (21.34 meters) of land annually. Only a few dilapidated gray homes remain, stripped of paint by the salty winds from storms.

“Living with my great-grandmother is all I remember of Newtok, and it was one of the first houses to be torn down,” Tom reflected.

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In the coming weeks, the final 71 residents will pack their belongings onto boats and relocate to Mertarvik, joining the 230 residents who began the move in 2019. This marks a significant moment as they will become one of the first Alaska Native villages to undergo a large-scale relocation due to climate change.