State flood coordinator meets with Kotzebue, Northwest Arctic Borough

Zayleen Kalalo, Alaska's National Flood Insurance Program coordinator, met last week with the City of Kotzebue and the Northwest Arctic Borough. They discussed recovery from Typhoon Halong, which struck western Alaska in October 2025, and future floodplain and resilience needs, the state Division of Community and Regional Affairs reported in its October newsletter.

A Typhoon Halong disaster-recovery bluesheet from the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency warns that noncompliant rebuilding could jeopardize a community's continued participation in the flood insurance program. It lists Kotzebue and the borough among five participating communities. The borough remains in the emergency phase, reserved for communities without a Flood Insurance Rate Map. The bluesheet, posted on the state's floodplain management page, names Kalalo as the state contact.

The state Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys counts 144 Alaska communities threatened by flooding, erosion and permafrost degradation. Its Coastal Hazards Program is still working to publish peak water height estimates for communities hit by the storm.