Flooding disaster gets feds’ attention

MAT-SU — While Alaska’s congressional delegation works at the federal level to inform President Barack Obama about the recent flooding disaster here, local officials are reminding residents that posting “no trespassing” signs could hinder federal officials’ work.

Those no trespassing signs are slowing down the work of the Federal Emergency Management Administration, according to borough’s emergency manager Casey Cook.

“FEMA can’t report it unless they see it,” he said.

In an email to borough officials, Sam Walton with the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management also flagged the problem.

“Our state/FEMA teams will, and are, abiding by these signs. This is interfering in our ability to capture damage info necessary to support a federal (disaster) declaration,” Walton wrote.

Cook and Walton said homeowners with “no trespassing” signs should put a second sign up somewhere near the “no trespassing” sign that says “FEMA OK.”

Cook noted that the assessors won’t get out of their cars.

Those FEMA assessments for personal assistance to homeowners will run until Oct. 15. On Oct. 20, they’ll start doing assessments for public assistance for things like bridges and roads.

“Once (FEMA) gets all that data done then they’ll submit that to their regional administrator and their state administrator,” Cook said.

If it clears the administrators, it goes to the president, who can declare a federal disaster and thereby unlock federal funding to help with the recovery.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich, as well as Congressman Don Young, sent a letter to President Obama detailing the flooding damage.

The letter points out that the hardest-hit portion of the state — the Railbelt — also happens to be the state’s most populated region.

“The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities worked valiantly to keep roads open. The state-owned Alaska Railroad, whose right of way is accessible in parts only by rail, has incurred substantial costs from high wind blowing debris onto the track, mudslides from water-logged soils, and floodwaters washing out the track bed and bridge abutments,” the letter states. “We appreciate your attention to the severe storms that plagued Alaska this fall and ask that you make the full resources of the federal family available to Governor Parnell … should the governor request federal assistance.”

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.