A major federal disaster declaration for the record Suicide Basin flood that peaked Aug. 6 has been approved by President Joe Biden, making individuals, some private nonprofit organizations and government entities eligible for funding and loans, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday.
However, a key question may be what funds exist to be distributed, since Congress is locked in a political battle over approving more disaster relief due to the vast destruction caused by other recent events including two hurricanes in the southeastern U.S. FEMA officials have stated the agency’s public assistance program, which reimburses state and local governments for the costs of debris cleanup, is facing the biggest struggle.
Congress is in recess until Nov. 12 due to the upcoming national election, although Biden has said he may call lawmakers back into a special session to approve more disaster aid.
Also, on Tuesday the Biden administration announced the Small Business Administration has run out of funds to provide low-interest loans to homeowners and businesses to repair property damaged by disasters, according to The New York Times.
The declaration for Juneau means individuals affected by the Suicide Basin flood are eligible for twice as much household assistance available under a state disaster declaration that covers up to $22,000 of damage to residences and $22,000 for belongings inside homes. About 300 homes were damaged by the flood, along with hundreds of vehicles and other property.
However, if individual disaster assistance funds are limited that means residents may get less than the maximum $22,000 authorized, Mayor Beth Weldon said Thursday morning.
Local officials are still determining what public assistance funds the City and Borough of Juneau will be able to seek, but there are numerous federal grants that can be applied for, Weldon said.
“You’d be surprised how many grants are out there for this stuff,” she said. “So it will just be finding pockets of money that we can use.”
A key element of the effort will be coordinating with the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska since that will make additional funding sources available, including from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Weldon said. Local officials are also asking the U.S. Forest Service for help since Suicide Basin is on federal forest land.
City and tribal officials traveled to Washington, D.C., last month to meet with Alaska’s congressional delegation and other federal officials about assistance for flood recovery as well as future preventative efforts. Weldon said “the message to us was don’t go to the obvious (sources).”
“So (we’re) just looking at different places than normal disaster declaration and that was the message we got,” she said. “Just look under every rock and it’s going to be piecemeal. We’re not going to find $40 million in one fell swoop. It’s going to be a little bit here, a little bit there.”
An emailed statement issued Friday by FEMA in response to questions by the Empire about available disaster funds, declared “FEMA has what it needs for immediate response and recovery efforts.”
“We are supporting the state’s requests and currently working with them on how to deliver the Individual Assistance program,” the statement notes. “We will have more information to share on how these programs support the community early next week.”
Attempts Thursday to reach members of Alaska’s congressional delegation for comment about the requests to supply more FEMA funding were unsuccessful.
Biden’s declaration Thursday is the first to be made in response to a joint state-tribal request, according to a joint statement Thursday from CBJ and the tribal council. Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the CCTHITA requested the declaration Sept. 19.
The statement notes information about applying for assistance and other flood-related matters is available at juneau.org/manager/flood-response. Questions can be submitted to floodresponse@juneau.gov.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling (800) 621- 3362 or by using the FEMA App, according to the FEMA’s disaster declaration statement. People using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, should provide FEMA the number for that service.
“Currently, we are working and planning with state and local officials to coordinate an in-person disaster recovery center,” Erin Ward, a FEMA spokesperson, wrote in an email to the Empire. “Once we have those details we will share widely as we want to make sure everyone has access to the support they need.”
The SBA, in a statement Thursday, noted that while “funds for the Disaster Loan Program have been fully expended (and) no new loans can be issued until Congress appropriates additional funding, we remain committed to supporting disaster survivors.”
“Applications will continue to be accepted and processed to ensure individuals and businesses are prepared to receive assistance once funding becomes available,” the statement notes. “Applicants are encouraged to submit their loan applications promptly for review in anticipation of future funding.”
People can apply online and seek additional information at SBA.gov/disaster, or call (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
