Federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security that coordinates disaster preparedness, response, and recovery — Stafford Act disaster declarations, Public Assistance grants for state and local infrastructure repair, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Individual Assistance for households, Pre-Disaster Mitigation, BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities), and the National Flood Insurance Program.
500 C St SW, Washington, DC 20472
Fairbanks gets new flood maps in January, and most homes in the zone are uninsured
FEMA finalized a new Flood Insurance Rate Map for the Fairbanks North Star Borough effective January 8, 2027, expanding coverage from three flooding sources to about 35, even as only 26 percent of homes inside the existing flood zone carry flood insurance.

Golden Valley is still getting paid for a storm from Christmas 2021
FEMA committed another $1.36 million toward Golden Valley Electric Association's repairs from the Christmas 2021 Interior windstorm, nearly five years later.

None of Ketchikan's $1.65 million in landslide aid has been paid out
A $1,651,380 FEMA award administered by the Alaska Department of Military and Veteran's Affairs reaches the end of its award period Sept. 30. It reimburses state, local, tribal and territorial governments and certain private nonprofits for pandemic emergency protective measures.

New flood maps would end mandatory flood insurance for thousands of Fairbanks properties
Revised FEMA flood maps would remove 2,881 Fairbanks North Star Borough structures from the high-risk flood zone and add 538, effective Jan. 8, 2027.

Household disaster aid accounted for eight of every 10 federal dollars sent to Alaska this week
USAspending.gov data shows $3.41 million of the $4.21 million in federal awards landing in Alaska between Aug. 21 and Aug. 28 went to disaster assistance for individuals and households, far ahead of every other tracked program.

Alaska has spent a fifth of its open federal disaster money, with six weeks on the clock
Alaska holds $357.7 million in open federal disaster grants with 21.7% paid out, and all eleven are currently written to expire on Sept. 30.

Mukluk Fire households can apply for up to $44,800 in state grants through Oct. 19
State disaster grants for Mukluk Fire losses opened August 18 and close October 19 for Alaska Gateway REAA residents, with a ceiling of $44,800 per household. State documents published the same day give two different hotline numbers and two different rental assistance timelines.

FEMA's Mukluk Fire grant pays for firefighting, not for people who lost homes
FEMA's fire management assistance grant for the Mukluk Fire covers firefighting costs only. Household losses run through a separate state program open through Oct. 19.

Nearly four years on, Alaska has been paid 15 percent of Merbok's $90.9 million
Nearly four years after Typhoon Merbok, only 15% of FEMA's rebuild money for western Alaska has been paid out, as the Sept. 30 deadline nears and projects risk losing money.

Kipnuk is being pieced back together, one boardwalk at a time
Kipnuk is rebuilding after October's Typhoon Halong remnants, with over 12,000 feet of new boardwalk reconnecting the village and crews lifting storm-damaged homes back into place.

Kipnuk storm loan deadline hits Tuesday
Businesses and residents in Kipnuk have until Tuesday to apply for federal economic-injury loans from the August 2024 storm. The physical-damage loan window already closed in November.

Three years after Typhoon Merbok, Alaska's rebuild continues
Three years after Typhoon Merbok, Western Alaska's road back keeps reaching the next milestone — and a separate Dalton washout is now in the same queue

Cordova council weighs hazard plan tied to federal disaster funds
Cordova City Council considered the city's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan on May 20, 2026, a FEMA-required document that determines eligibility for federal disaster resilience and mitigation grants in the Gulf of Alaska community.

Alaska Senate backs Kipnuk, Kwigillingok relocation after Typhoon Halong
The Alaska Senate unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday backing the decisions of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok to relocate after devastation from Typhoon Halong.
