A FEMA administrator is headed to Alaska as the state scrambles to deal with hurricane damage.

Alaska state officials have counted 89 residential buildings badly damaged by storms that hit western Alaska over the weekend, but a full estimate of the damage won’t be available for days, said Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who traveled to the state earlier. during the week.

The remnants of Pacific Storm Merbok, which has battered western Alaska since Saturday, have destroyed roads, overturned homes, leveled homes and scattered debris along 1,000 miles of coastline.

Dunleavy said in a statement Thursday that it was too early to provide an estimate of the storm’s damage, at least in part as community members, local governments and state agencies assess the extent of the damage.

“We think we’re going to find things that nobody’s seen yet, so those guesses can go forward,” Dunleavy said.

Dunleavy has called for a federal disaster declaration for the region to help with recovery efforts before a quick winter freeze sets in. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Dean Criswell is scheduled to arrive in Alaska on Friday, fresh off a trip to Puerto Rico, where Hurricane Fiona caused widespread devastation. Criswell is scheduled to travel to the affected area in western Alaska over the weekend.

[‘Some of them just disappeared’: Essential pieces of life in Nome were lost in the storm]

Dunleavy requested $10 million in state emergency funds to begin addressing immediate needs. In the year In 2011, $30 million in federal disaster funding was sent to Alaska to help sort out repairs. Dunleavy’s administration expects costs from this incident to exceed that.

The governor earlier this week traveled to Bethel, Newtok, Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Nome, Golovin, Elim and Koyuk along with other government officials to assess the damage caused by the cyclone. He said Thursday that he plans to return to the region on October 1 to assess the progress of the repair.

[In the midst of the storm, a dash to keep the power on in Hooper Bay]

Alaska Military and Veterans Affairs Commissioner Maj. Gen. Torrance Sack said about 130 members of the Alaska National Guard, State Guard and Navy militia have been deployed to the region. They are tasked with removing debris and communicating with community members to understand their needs, Sack said.

Among the most serious damage identified by the regional authorities so far, sections of the road between Nome and Council and the roads in Elim, Golovin and Nome have been destroyed.

Alaska Department of Transportation Commissioner Ryan Anderson said Thursday that the department said five to 10 miles of Nome-Council Road were “completely destroyed” and another five to 10 miles were “severely damaged.” It was “washed away” about three miles from Golovin and “completely destroyed” on Elim’s front street.

Anderson said all airports in the region are providing service. Some Federal Aviation Administration weather systems were affected and the Alaska Department of Transportation is working with the FAA to get them back up and running, Anderson said.

According to the Alaska Department of Homeland Security, the state’s emergency plans are focused on “getting things like lumber, roofing, roofing to communities right now,” although the state is awaiting a response from the federal government on a request for an emergency declaration, and emergency management director Brian Fisher said.

“It’s a separate program that’s happening right away to make sure we’re able to close homes and get residents there to have a safe, warm place before winter hits,” Fisher said.

[Dunleavy requests federal disaster declaration for Western Alaska as reports of storm damage accumulate]

If a federal disaster is declared, FEMA typically covers 75% of response costs. Dunleavy asked for 100% of expenses to be covered. President Joe Biden has already approved a similar request for Puerto Rico’s rebuilding effort.

Dunleavy said state agencies are working within a four-week timeframe to address the immediate needs of the winter cold, including flying in thousands of pounds of food and water to replace lost or damaged supplies in many communities, repair roads and bridges, remove debris, and restore homes to their foundations.

“It’s really all about working and working and getting ready for the winter,” Dunleavy said.

Dunleavy also said he spoke with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by phone Thursday.

I said, “Look, the damage may not be in places like Puerto Rico or some of the hurricanes, but it’s our schedule, it’s our distance, it’s our lack.” Infrastructure is the issue,” Dunleavy said. In the next four weeks we have to make sure we’re not bureaucratic in trying to get help and people off their feet.

Among the damaged and lost buildings were shacks – some built over the years and without the insurance or documents needed to get aid for rebuilding.

“We’ll be in discussions with the feds and others as part of a food collection system for people out there. So we’re going to try to do everything we can to get people fully on board,” Dunleavy said.

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