Two weeks after the October flood in Kotzebue, repairs and cleanup were completed on more than 50 properties, Northwest Arctic Borough officials said. After providing recovery assistance, members of several state agencies left the community over the weekend while local responders continued repairs.
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.
The borough reported that by October 30, responders completed repairs, water pumping and cleanup on over 50 properties. 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.
“Early recovery efforts focused on debris removal, stabilization of compromised foundations, insulation replacement and restoration of access points like decks, ramps and entrances,” borough officials said.
At the end of last week, responders were focused on repairing residential sewage, gas and water lines, to help the community to get ready for winter, according to the borough report. They also distributed heaters and dehumidifiers to help control moisture, the report stated.
While responders postponed some repairs until spring, they planned to continue drying out some properties and reinforcing structures into early November, “to complete as much as possible before the freeze-up,” borough officials said. A portion of critical repairs and waste management will continue through Nov. 8. they said.
Going forward, the plan is to focus on insulation in homes and preventing mold and shoreline erosion in vulnerable areas, they said.
The city and the Northwest Arctic Borough have been leading the response to the storm, with support from several local organizations.
State agencies also ramped up their assistance: Members of the Alaska Organized Militia — composed of Alaska National Guard and Alaska State Defense Force service members — arrived in the community at the end of October, according to an update from the State Emergency Operations Center. Among other things, the service members worked to repair water, sewer and gas lines, fix wheelchair access and stairs, and dry out subflooring at residents’ homes, according to the update.
“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.
Last 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.”
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Based on the need in Kotzebue, the Alaska National Guard gradually decreased the number of service members on the ground, demobilizing all of them on Saturday, according to the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management report from Nov. 4.
Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection crew members assisted Kotzebue on the ground by pumping water from properties and helping with cleanup. The members also left the community this weekend.
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.
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. As of Nov. 4, the state received 57 applications, according to the update.
The City of Kotzebue is requesting that those residents with damages or losses from the 2024 October West Coast Storm...
Posted by City of Kotzebue on Monday, October 28, 2024
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.