Governor Palin 4 President

Anchorage, AK – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved Governor Palin’s total request for additional communities to receive disaster relief funds for the spring flooding event.

The original federal disaster declaration did not include Individual Assistance for several communities as the flood event was ongoing at the time of the federal disaster declaration. Federal Individual Assistance pays a maximum of $30,300 per affected household, whereas State of Alaska Individual Assistance pays $5,000 per affected household.

“This is great news for the members of the communities in rural Alaska that were left off of the original disaster declaration,” The Governor said. “This year’s spring flood was one of the worst on record, and we need to act swiftly to make sure people can rebuild before winter.”

Disaster recovery teams, consisting of members of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and FEMA, are out in Bethel and the surrounding villages today. More trips are planned next week to help those people who have experienced flood damages get the necessary paperwork completed to expedite funding assistance.

The formal regions, and key communities that Governor Palin promised additional aid were added onto the federal disaster declaration are:
• Lower Yukon Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA) for Individual Assistance, including Emmonak, Russian Mission, Kotlik, and Alakanuk;
• Yupiit REAA for Individual Assistance (already approved for public assistance), including Akiak, Akiachak, and Tuluksak;
• Lower Yukon REAA for Public Assistance, including Emmonak, Russian Mission, Kotlik, and Alakanuk;
• Yukon-Koyukuk REAA for Public Assistance (already approved for Individual Assistance), including Tanana.