Gov. Bill Walker has issued a declaration of disaster for the North Slope Borough in the wake of a strong Arctic sea storm that occurred in late September.
The declaration makes available $1 million from the state’s Disaster Relief Fund and will allow the community to begin addressing damages from the storm from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30. While the borough took emergency measures immediately following the storm, it became clear that the damage would exceed its capability, the governor said. “This storm caused major damage to roads, infrastructure, historical and cultural sites along the northern Arctic coast, and also resulted in low lying area flooding in the community of Utqiagvik,” Walker said. ““This declaration will make funds available to assist the North Slope Borough communities with recovery efforts, and support our neighbors as they work to rebuild their lives. I also intend to pursue federal disaster assistance to make sure that the Borough has the resources it needs to effectively recover from the storm.”
The storm produced high winds, strong surf and a surge that breached coastal protection berms. If federal assistance is granted, the federal government would reimburse 75 percent of eligible recovery and relief costs, with the remainder funded through Alaska’s Disaster Relief Fund.
