On Tuesday Governor Mike Dunleavy amended a state disaster declaration to include communities located on Prince of Wales Island.
The announcement comes from the tragic November. 20 land slide that occurred in Wrangell. The storm that struck Wrangell also caused floods and landslides throughout Prince of Wales Island, which includes the communities of Hydaburg and Craig.
In the governor’s amended version of the declaration, the residents of the island affected by the storm are now eligible for relief from the state.
In the course of the Nov. 20 storm culverts and roads were swept away from Prince of Wales Island. Power poles snapped in half. Residents reported numerous power outages.
Wrangell’s landslide was among the deadliest of recent times in Alaska. The totality of the damage remains not known.
The state as well as FEMA which is FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will be traveling to Wrangell along with Prince of Wales to conduct an assessment of damage. Jeremy Zidek of the state’s department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management states that the state has already completed an assessment to modify the declaration, but they are hoping to receive federal aid too.
“The goal is to work with FEMA Go out and look over the damage, then verify it. Therefore, if we need federal help and receive it, we’ll have FEMA involved with the damage that was damaged. In the event that FEMA chooses to declare an emergency in the state, 75% of cost will be taken care of through FEMA and 25 percent of the cost will be borne from the State,” stated Zidek. “At the moment, in the event of a state declaration of disaster that the state’s disaster relief programs will take care of 100 percent of the cost.”
The state as well as FEMA will be present at Wrangell as well as on Prince of Wales beginning on December. 11 to record the damage. Zidek believes this will not be like the lives of those who were affected by the slides or flooding. The assistance is coming from a different source of cash. However, for some, he explained that the pot of money isn’t easy to locate.
“It’s an extremely complex program. We always strive to maximize the value that we provide individuals. We collaborate with insurance. You know it’s an ongoing process,” Zidek said. “Some individuals are not qualified for grants. However, some people are, and must fill out the application and complete the process to allow us to know if they are qualified for.”
Zidek advised those living on Wrangell as well as Prince of Wales Island who were affected by the flooding or landslides to sign up for assistance by visiting ready.alaska.gov/ia or by calling 844-445-7131.
