The damage from ex-Typhoon Halong is already a declared state disaster but there’s no word yet on whether President Trump will sign a federal disaster declaration. Tens of millions of dollars, for the state and communities, hang on that decision.
For people displaced by the storm or whose homes were damaged, there’s another big question: If the president signs a disaster declaration, will it say survivors are eligible for Individual Assistance? That would make as much as $85,000 available per household.
Very few Alaska disasters have included the federal Individual Assistance component, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesman for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“We think that we've got a good chance at it,” he said, “but it comes down to the federal government to make that determination.”
Federal declarations sometimes come within days of a disaster, as was the case when the remnants of Typhoon Merbok struck in 2022. Or, as occurred with three Alaska disasters last year, the federal declaration can come months later.
In the meantime, the state has its own Individual Assistance program. It’s asking every family who incurred property damage from the storm or has been displaced to register for state Individual Assistance. Claimants may be eligible for $21,250 in home repairs and another $21,250 for “other needs.”
Zidek said that could be “money for transportation, medical-dental expenses, subsistence equipment, repairing or cleaning and sanitation of property — some of those items are under our state's IA program.”
There’s a different program to pay for temporary housing that would not count toward the cap.
If the president signs a federal disaster declaration that includes Individual Assistance, the caps are double, Zidek says — $42,000 for home repairs and $42,000 for other items.
In some cases, a family may be eligible for both state and federal Individual Assistance, because, while the programs are similar, they differ somewhat in the type of property a person can claim for.
“We make sure that there isn't a duplication of benefits. We can't pay for things twice,” Zidek said. But if the federal Individual Assistance program is unlocked “there is more money available to people that have lost their homes or lost their possessions.”
Applying for state Individual Assistance lets the state know what your needs are, so it can direct services to you and your community, he said. The information is shared with other agencies, so it also serves as a headstart on a federal application for assistance.
For those who can’t or don’t want to apply online, at ready.alaska.gov, the state is making face-to-face help available in Bethel and Anchorage, Zidek said.
