Water recedes, recovery begins

As the floodwater continues its backward march into the river and streambeds from whence it came, the state, borough and hundreds of Mat-Su residents are beginning to get a look at the resulting damage.

It may be just a temporary reprieve; only one day in the next 10 shows a forecast that does not include a solid chance of rain. However, the National Weather Service says it doesn’t expect these rains to cause further flooding in the Mat-Su Borough.

Although Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell declared the Mat-Su Borough a disaster area after touring the region by air Friday, it will still be some time before that help arrives in the hands of local folks who need to prepare quickly for the uncompromising arrival of winter in the next few weeks.

In addition to reviewing damage done to public infrastructure, Mat-Su Borough’s Emergency Services Manager Casey Cook said state officials also will review personal property damage caused by the flood event.

Some supplies people bought, like drywall, lumber or tarps, may be eligible for reimbursement, but not without receipts and photos that show the damage.

“What people should do is document what their home looks like before they start repairing it. And then once they find stuff that’s been damaged or broken or unusable, to document that throughout the repair,” Cook said. “Keep all of their receipts that they’ve spent on Sheetrock or sump pumps or anything that they’ve used or bought, purchased rented to make their homes livable again.”

We suspect lots of our Mat-Su Valley neighbors will be using their Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend payments this year to help get their homes cleaned up and repaired before winter. The first of the $878 dividends this year will go out as direct deposit on Oct. 4. Approximately 515,000 applicants will receive a direct deposit into their bank account, and 85,000 will be mailed a check.

Typically around this time of year we urge people to shop local with their PFD dollars. This year, we expect many of our neighbors will be doing so out of necessity as they buy new insulation, carpeting, plywood, etc. to repair the floodwater’s damage.

Flooding damage in the Mat-Su was concentrated along rivers and streams. But the homes that were flooded won’t be put right quickly, or cheaply. There will be lots of cleaning up and throwing out ahead for many.

We have been fortunate thus far that no one died during this disaster. But we’re not out of harm’s way just yet.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued a series of warnings cautioning people about the contaminants found in floodwater and urging people not to use their water and wastewater systems until the water has abated. A lot of this has to do with the contaminants found in floodwater, such as gasoline, motor oil and human waste from flooded septic systems.

The worst of the high water may be behind us, but this disaster is far from finished. It will take many months of patience and helping one another to put right the ravages of Mother Nature.