by AVCP Staff
AVCP will be providing daily updates as the damage assessment following Typhoon Merbok continue. We will also be providing updates on efforts by AVCP, state and federal partners to coordinate relief and recovery efforts in our region.
To date, we have received no reports of loss of life due to the storm.
AVCP Executive Board Chairman Thaddeus Tikiun and Chief Executive Officer Vivian Korthuis have met in Bethel with Governor Mike Dunleavy to discuss efforts to bring support to the region. Governor Dunleavy toured Hooper Bay, Scammon and overflew Chevak before a brief stop in St Mary’s. The Governor has declared a state disaster, activated the National Guard and is seeking a federal disaster declaration for our region. Senator Lisa Murkowski is assisting on relief efforts at the federal government level.
AVCP has community-based staff in 46 or our villages-those team members are assessing damage and assessing immediate needs for people in those communities.
AVCP provides crisis benefits services and housing improvement program services along with other programs that can provide crisis support for individual tribal members and we are working in every impacted community to identify the needs and assist in providing support any way we can. People with questions can contact Andrea Wuya, Community Services Division at (907) 543-8553.
Damage assessments are still in their early stages, but we have identified the following issues:
• Half of Chevak is without running water
• Half the sewage system is down in Nightmute
• Hooper Bay, Chevak, Newtok, Tununak, and Toksook are in need of food and water
• Alakanuk is in need of water.
• 100 boats have been lost or sunk in Chevak.
• 10 tribal members in region have lost their homes
• In Nunam Iqua, the initial assessment is that about a quarter of the gravel pile that had been delivered in the past month for road maintenance has washed away
• Hooper Bay’s gravel delivery remains largely intact and will be used for road repairs
• All AVCP staff have been contacted and are safe
At this time, all AVCP offices are up and running although cell service is coming in and out and the power outages appear to have caused IT issues that are impacting work in some offices. We ask people for their patience when trying to contact AVCP.
Please be safe while traveling throughout the region and while working on repairs in your villages.
