Residents in the Kusilvak Census Area and Yupiit Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) affected by damage from the ice jam and snow melt flooding that occurred between May 12 and June 3, 2023 can now apply for FEMA Individual Assistance for housing repair and replacement of personal property.
FEMA’s Individual Assistance program includes funding to help repair or rebuild primary homes, temporary rental assistance, shipping of needed materials to Alaska, and replacement of critical personal property including tools and equipment for subsistence living.
As of the close of business on October 30, FEMA had received 507 total registrations and approved almost $2.5 million in assistance for housing and personal property damage for the spring flooding.
Affected residents can apply for FEMA assistance by contacting a FEMA specialist at 1-866-342-1699 between 8:30 AM and 6 PM AKT, Monday through Saturday. The hotline has staff trained to answer Alaska-specific questions. Residents may also register by visiting disasterassistance.gov or by using the FEMA mobile app. The deadline to apply is December 22, 2023.
In addition, the State of Alaska has re-opened its own Individual Assistance program, which will allow those with damage from 2023 spring floods who have not previously registered an opportunity to seek state assistance. Applying with FEMA will be required for any future state IA funding. State and federal Individual Assistance programs cannot duplicate benefits, but specific damages, such as subsistence structures, are eligible under the state program. Affected residents can apply to the State of Alaska’s disaster assistance program at 1-844-445-7131 or by visiting ready.alaska.gov/ia.
REAAs previously approved for Individual Assistance from the spring flooding include Copper River REAA, Kuspuk REAA, Lower Kuskokwim REAA, Lower Yukon REAA and Yukon Flats REAA.
The Iditarod REAA and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area are now eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program which provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits, so communities can quickly recover from major disasters or emergencies by helping to cover the cost of debris removal and the restoration of public infrastructure. The Bering Strait, Copper River, Kuspuk, Lower Yukon, and Yukon Flats REAAs have previously been approved for FEMA Public Assistance,
The federal cost share for FEMA’s Public Assistance program is no less than 75 percent.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Those who require a reasonable accommodation — such as language translation or interpretation, mobility assistance, or sign language interpretation — call or text 907-727-6221 or email [email protected]. You can also notify staff in the field.
