Tally of damaged Kotzebue homes rises as storm recovery efforts broaden

The number of Kotzebue houses that were damaged in last week’s fall storm climbed as several local and state agencies continued to assist residents and the extent of the destruction became clearer Tuesday.

The storm had brought high winds and waves and caused flooding in Kotzebue and, to a lesser extent, several other communities. In Kotzebue, the weather event led to widespread evacuations and damaged dozens of homes and local infrastructure, including roads, airport runways and facilities and a boat harbor, Kotzebue city officials had said.

As of Tuesday, about a week after the worst of the flooding hit Kotzebue, 45 homes had reportedly sustained damage from the storm, with 18 houses needing subfloor and insulation repairs, according to an update from the State Emergency Operations Center. That number has grown since last week, when City of Kotzebue Planning Director Sam Camp said that 31 houses had reported damage, including foundation issues, ripped-off skirting, interior water damage and soaked insulation.

[After flood, Kotzebue residents take stock of damaged homes and property, and take care of one another]

The city and the Northwest Arctic Borough have been leading the response to the storm, with support from several local organizations. When the Ralph Wien Memorial Airport reopened, state agencies also ramped up their assistance.

Nine members of the Alaska Organized Militia — composed of Alaska National Guard and Alaska State Defense Force service members — arrived in the community last week, according to the update. On Tuesday, they were continuing to distribute relief supplies such as heaters and dehumidifiers.

“The National Guard is certainly glad to be able to assist after this storm and do everything that we can to help the community get back on track again before freeze-up,” said Alan Brown, director of communications and public affairs for the Alaska National Guard and Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

The service members also worked to repair water, sewer and gas lines, fix wheelchair access and stairs, and dry out subflooring at residents’ homes, according to the update. Stabilizing fuel tanks, clearing storm debris from residences and repairing the exterior of the Kotzebue Recreation Center were also some of their priorities.

On Saturday, several National Guard members — as well as state Rep. Thomas Baker, who is a second lieutenant with the Alaska State Defense Force — were going from home to home in the most affected areas of Kotzebue, the north side and the lagoon side of town, to gauge the needs for materials, cleanup and repairs, Baker said.

Tom Geffe was one of the residents with whom the service members spoke. Geffe said that the storm destroyed a portion of the foundation under his house.

“Half of it is gone, but I’ve got help coming,” Geffe said. “They are going to help before winter.”

Based on the need in Kotzebue, four Alaska National Guard service members were going to stay on the ground through Saturday, Brown said.

“They’re just making adjustments based on how much more work needs to be done,” Brown said. “The game plan is to bring everybody back Saturday. But that could change depending on the community’s requirements.”

Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection crew members also arrived in Kotzebue last week and on Tuesday continued to pump water from properties and assist with cleanup, according to the update.

Anchorage churches ChangePoint and Mountain City deployed a team to Kotzebue to help address immediate resident repair needs for winter safety, state officials said in the update. A volunteer agency from Colorado was assisting the city in long-term recovery planning, the update stated.

The Native Village of Kotzebue was distributing water and food boxes, and feeding responders, according to the Tuesday update.

Applying for available assistance

Kotzebue residents experiencing a lack of heat, water, electricity or food were asked to call the borough at 907-442-2500 for assistance.

The city encouraged residents affected by the flooding to complete an online survey. To report areas for debris pickup, residents can call 907-442-3401 or email customerservice@kotzebue.org.

Residents who want to apply for State Disaster Individual Assistance can call 844-445-7131 or fill out the forms online at ready.alaska.gov/IA. An application requires property ownership and insurance documents if they are available and proof of residency, like a utility bill with a physical address. The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management recommended taking pictures of the damage. So far, over 28 residents have applied for state assistance, the update stated.

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation was managing financial donations to the Kotzebue Flood Relief Fund. By Tuesday, about 133 people donated more than $11,430, according to an update from the consortium. Coupled with donations from ANTHC, relief funding totaled more than $51,430.

Other communities affected by the storm

Other communities that reported storm damage to berms, roads and light poles included Shishmaref, Shaktoolik, Wales and Nome, where Council Road was affected, according to the update.

Deering also declared an emergency after the storm caused residents of at least one house to evacuate and washed out the road connecting the village to the airport, borough mayor Dickie Moto said. By Tuesday, the situation had improved and the borough and state were delivering materials for repairs, said Moto, who visited the village last week.

“In Deering, everybody’s back home,” he said. “The road was the biggest washout, biggest concern, because (it allows) responding to emergencies in a safe manner.”

Moto said responders in Deering were hauling gravel to improve the road. A barge carrying 500 tons of riprap rock, for use in repairs related to erosion damage, was on its way to Shishmaref and Deering.