Alaska Beacon: “The Trump administration has denied Alaska’s request for full reimbursement for disaster relief efforts […] That leaves the state on the hook for millions of dollars for disaster recovery”.
Months after Typhoon Halong devastated Western Alaska and triggered the “state’s largest mass evacuation of residents from their homes,” Sen. Dan Sullivan failed to secure full federal recovery funding Alaska desperately needs to rebuild our communities, leaving Alaskans “on the hook for millions of dollars for disaster recovery.”
Sullivan’s failure to deliver full recovery funds for Alaska comes just months after he put politics over public safety and voted to defund local radio stations and emergency alert systems that rural Alaskans rely on for life-saving storm warnings.
“After months of empty promises and cheap talk, Dan Sullivan has failed to secure crucial federal funds that Alaska needs to fully recover from the devastation of Typhoon Halong,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft. “Alaskans know that no one from the Lower 48 is coming to save us. That’s why it’s so shameful that Sullivan has spent over a decade in the U.S., growing richer, instead of putting partisanship aside and fighting for Alaskans. Unlike Dan Sullivan, Alaskans show up – in November, we’ll show up at the ballot box and replace him with someone who fights for us.”
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Alaska Beacon: Trump administration denies full disaster funding for Western Alaska storms, state files appeal
By Corinne Smith
January 30, 2026
The Trump administration has denied Alaska’s request for full reimbursement for disaster relief efforts immediately following last October’s devastating Western Alaska storms, despite the Dunleavy administration’s claim that the federal disaster declaration meant the state would be fully reimbursed.
That leaves the state on the hook for millions of dollars for disaster recovery, however the full amount is still unknown.
The state’s request for federal support for 100% of disaster relief efforts in the first 90 days after the storms hit was denied on Dec. 20, according to a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management on Thursday.
The state appealed the denial on Jan. 15, and asked for a 90% federal cost reimbursement, but has not yet gotten a response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We have not heard back from FEMA on approval or denial and there is no timeframe requirement,” said Jeremy Zidek, public information officer for the division, by email.
A spokesperson for Dunleavy’s office did not respond to a list of questions, but confirmed the appeal on Friday. “An appeal has been filed and the administration will await the federal government’s decision,” said Jeff Turner, Dunleavy’s communications director.
The Western Alaska storms and particularly ex-Typhoon Halong brought record-breaking winds and flooding — damaging thousands of structures, roads, boardwalks, airports and other critical infrastructure. It prompted the state’s largest mass evacuation of residents from their homes to other villages, Bethel and Anchorage.
While some Western Alaska residents are continuing to rebuild through the winter, other residents who evacuated to Anchorage are living in temporary housing. As of Thursday, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management reports that 471 residents are still sheltering in hotels in Anchorage.
Kiehl described the state’s fiscal picture, with rising costs and ongoing debates on how to raise more revenues, as “bleak.” “So there isn’t cash just sitting around for disaster assistance,” he said. “We have to step up for western Alaska financially. That’s going to stink, but we have to do it, as far as I’m concerned.”