It's been nearly three weeks since a storm caused major flooding and erosion damage in Kotzebue and other Northwest Arctic communities. That was before the remnants of Typhoon Halong made their way through the region.
After assessing the damage in multiple communities, officials said the region is moving quickly to make repairs as winter sets in.
Kelly Hamilton is the emergency manager for the Northwest Arctic Borough. He says more than 150 homes in Kotzebue have already been assessed for damage after the Oct. 8 flood and the remnants of Typhoon Halong a few days later.
The region saw similar flooding last year, too. Hamilton said many of the homes that needed repairs last year will have to go through the same process again, tearing out and replacing damaged flooring and insulation.
This year, he said the borough had a better game plan to start that work immediately.
"If at all possible, help the residents de-water, dehumidify, dry out their house, and then help them to the extent the borough can and get things buttoned up for winter," Hamilton said.
Gov. Dunleavy declared a disaster for the region on Oct. 9, which was later amended to include damage from Typhoon Halong. But Hamilton said it's a tight timeline to get relief.
Temperatures in Kotzebue are already in the low teens and 20s this week, making repairs more challenging.
"The residents need a dry place to live, and winter is on the way," Hamilton said. Otherwise, they're just living on an ice block."
According to Hamilton, a coordinated response between the borough and multiple local, state and even national agencies — including Maniilaq, NANA and the City of Kotzebue— helped assess the damage.
Hamilton said the borough's Village Public Safety Program also helped, but now about a dozen of the borough's VPSOs are deployed in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta to help with emergency response efforts there.
Damage in Kivalina and Deering
Kotzebue wasn't the only community in the Northwest Arctic to experience damage.
In the community of Kivalina, over 280 residents sheltered at the school during the night of the Oct. 8 storm. Several returned home to flood damage.
The Alaska Organized Militia, including Alaska National Guard members, deployed eight people to Kivalina for repairs and assessments, according to Jeremy Zidek, a public information officer with the Alaska Division of Homeland Security.
Emergency officials said Kivalina also received help from the nearby Red Dog Mine, which was able to transport water, non-perishable food items and diapers to the community via helicopter. Many Kivalina residents have already applied to the state's individual assistance program for financial help.
Zidek said the community of Deering had erosion near their health clinic.
Erosion in Kotzebue
Zidek also said emergency officials are working with Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium on Kotzebue's sewage lagoon, which had just undergone repairs.
"Those repairs were just completed about a week before the storm from last year's storm," Zidek said.
Representatives from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities said there was significant slope erosion in Kotzebue, especially along Ted Stevens Way. The road is closed because of the severity of the erosion, and repairs are ongoing.
"We're working on the repairs between the bridges, and we're working as fast as we can," said Angelica Stabs, a public information officer with the division. "We just saw a lot of erosion."
Kotzebue resident Matt Bergan said his home experienced damage from the flooding. He spoke at a recent Kotzebue City Council meeting. Bergan said he thinks there should be more of an effort for long-term planning.
"It seems like there's plenty of money to respond to emergencies and fix things like we're doing now, but it seems harder to get the money for preventive measures before disasters happen," Bergan said.
Residents have until Dec. 9 to apply for state individual assistance and can apply for federal individual assitance until Dec. 22.
State of Alaska Individual Assistance (IA) – Deadline is December 9, 2025
To register for State of Alaska Individual Assistance:
Call 1-844-445-7131, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Or apply online https://ready.alaska.gov/Recovery/IA
FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) – Deadline is December 22, 2025
To register for FEMA Individual Assistance:
Call 1-800-621-3362, 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Or apply online at https://disasterassistance.gov
Red Cross Assistance
To Register for assistance through the American Red Cross:
Call 1-800-RED-CROSS
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