Individuals and the borough are eligible for financial aid under the state’s disaster assistance programs.
State grants to individuals are limited to no more than $21,250 for housing repairs and up to the same amount for other needs. That could include lost or damaged personal items such as clothing, furnishings and tools; energy costs; medical, transportation or temporary storage expenses.
The grant limit is based on a federal standard, explained Jeremy Zidek, public information officer for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“All of our funding has to be disaster-related,” he said.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration the day after the Nov. 20 landslide cascaded down the mountainside at 11-Mile Zimovia Highway, hitting three homes and killing four people, with two still missing as of Monday evening. The declaration triggered Wrangell’s eligibility for state aid.
Applicants for disaster relief need to save their receipts, Zidek said. They also will need to submit a description of the damages to their property or personal items that were lost, insurance information of what is covered or not covered, and a utility bill or something else to show proof of occupancy.
“Wrangell landslide survivors are strongly encouraged to apply for individual assistance as soon as possible,” the state advises.
Application packets are available at City Hall for people to submit their requests to the state. The last day to apply for individual assistance is Jan. 27.
LaNita Copeland, an emergency management specialist with the state, is in town this week to assist residents whose property was damaged in the landslide. She will be at City Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Friday, though her hours are subject to change.
In addition to picking up applications at City Hall, people can call the state at 844-445-7131 for more information 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, or apply online at ready.alaska.gov/Recovery/IA.
The housing assistance grants are available to homeowners to repair disaster-related damages not covered by insurance or other governmental financial assistance programs. “If insurance covers damages, applicant may be eligible for reimbursement of the deductible,” according to the state’s instructions.
Eligible housing repairs do not include landscaping, outbuildings or driveways. The program is limited to providing financial assistance for restoring the living quarters back to their pre-disaster condition.
In addition to help with building repairs and personal items, renters can qualify for up to three months of rental assistance, with homeowners eligible for up to 18 months of housing aid.
“We’re looking at people who cannot return to their homes” and incur the expense of temporary housing, Zidek said, noting that displaced families can live for only so long in borrowed or donated quarters.
“We want to make sure people have safe, warm places to stay.”
Zidek said the state emergency management office is working with the borough, The Salvation Army and Red Cross to ensure that people know about the aid program and receive help in completing the applications.
Under a separate relief program, the borough is eligible for reimbursement of its disaster-related expenses, particularly to replace critical infrastructure, but only after it spends the money, submits its receipts and waits for a review.
“It is a heavy financial burden upfront,” Interim Borough Manager Mason Villarma said in an interview Saturday, Nov. 25.
“We unfortunately have some experience with this,” he said, referring to the borough’s request for reimbursement of expenses following a Nov. 30, 2021, windstorm that knocked down power lines and multiple poles. The borough is still waiting for full payment on its claims, Villarma said.
“The documentation is incredibly robust,” he said.
The borough is keeping its list of expenses from the landslide and will seek state reimbursement for such expenses as power line repairs, water taxis to serve people living on the other side of the blocked highway, fuel, portable generators, staff time and other costs.
Villarma estimated it will add up to more than $1 million.
If the emergency management agency’s account for disaster relief runs short, it would ask the Legislature to replenish the fund, Zidek said.
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