U.S. President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Juneau’s record-breaking glacial outburst flood, more than two months after it damaged nearly 300 homes in the Mendenhall Valley.
The move frees up money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for temporary housing, home repairs and low-cost loans to cover losses on uninsured property. Deputy City Manager Robert Barr said Wednesday evening’s declaration came as a surprise.
“I was certainly very happy and excited when I heard about it,” he said. “It’s never a guarantee.”
Last year’s catastrophic flood, which destroyed two homes and damaged around two dozen others, did not receive a federal disaster declaration.
The federal disaster assistance will supplement the state disaster assistance that kicked in following Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s disaster declaration in August. Those who submitted applications for state assistance are already receiving payouts, which are capped at $21,000. With the FEMA declaration, homeowners will be eligible for twice as much.
A federal disaster declaration also makes funds available for the City and Borough of Juneau and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska to do emergency work and repairs.
It’s also a major eligibility requirement for many federal hazard mitigation programs, which might dole out money for projects that will prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property posed by future floods.
Barr said the city has not figured out which of these programs they might pursue, but they’re looking into a variety of grants that might be a good fit for Juneau.
“None of them will bring money immediately, right? They all generally involve fairly lengthy processes and periods of study and analysis before we actually see the results,” Barr said. “But now at least we have the opportunity.”
Residents and business owners who sustained flood damage can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, calling 1-800-621-3362 or using the FEMA App.
FEMA also plans to set up an assistance center at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library, where federal representatives will offer help on applications. The precise dates for that have not been announced, but Barr expects it could be up and running sometime later this month.
This federal disaster declaration also comes after national concern and widespread misinformation about FEMA running out of money in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which pummeled the southeastern U.S. earlier this month. But the agency said they have adequate funding to support all of their current operations.
This summer, FEMA did raise an alarm about shortfalls in their Disaster Relief Fund to make it through the remainder of hurricane season, which typically lasts through November. The fund, which is appropriated by Congress, is often considered the first line of response following a disaster.
An infusion of money from a stopgap spending measure passed in September replenished the fund for now. Congress can appropriate more supplemental funding, but federal lawmakers are out of session until Nov. 12.
At the same time, the federal Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program, which provided relief to many Juneau residents after last year’s flood, recently announced a pause on its program until Congress approves more funding.
