Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Alaska Organized Militia members, assigned to Task Force Bethel, survey Nightmute, Alaska, while conducting post-storm recovery efforts for Operation Halong Response on Oct. 27, 2025.

Disaster aid deadlines extended into 2026 for those affected by Western Alaska storms

The new deadline for applications is Feb. 20, 2026. State and federal officials are continuing to encourage residents to register for both state and federal assistance programs to maximize their potential benefits.

Members of the Alaska Air and Army National Guard, Alaska Naval Militia, and Alaska State Defense Force work together to load plywood onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, in Bethel, Alaska, Nov. 2, 2025, bound for the villages of Napaskiak, Tuntutuliak, and Napakiak. The materials will help residents rebuild homes and restore community spaces damaged by past storms.

Public Safety

Gov. Dunleavy approves Alaska National Guard assisting ICE in Anchorage

Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

The National Guard said five service members will assist with administrative support; lawmakers and civil rights advocates worry that the move signals a ramping up of immigration enforcement operations in Alaska.

Alaska Organized Militia personnel, assigned to Task Force Bethel, prepare relief supplies for distribution to nearby villages during post-storm recovery efforts for Operation Halong Response at Bethel, Alaska on Nov 19, 2025.

Public Safety

Disaster relief crews begin to depart Western Alaska as winter sets in, officials say

Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Some work on critical infrastructure projects will continue, but the state’s focus will transition to supporting storm-impacted communities and evacuated residents through the winter, officials said.

U.S. Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook aviators, assigned to the 207th Aviation Troop Command, Alaska Army National Guard, transport Alaska Organized Militia members and supplies to Kwigillingok, Alaska, Nov. 6, 2025, while supporting Operation Halong Response efforts.

Public Safety

Alaska extends disaster declaration for west coast storms

Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed an extension of the state’s disaster declaration on Saturday to continue emergency response and recovery efforts following the Western Alaska storms, including the remnants of Typhoon Halong.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy delivers the annual State of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in the Alaska Capitol.

Politics

Dunleavy sets out agenda for special session, while Alaska legislative leaders focus on vetoes

Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

On Monday, July 28, the governor called for legislators to address what he called “Alaska’s chronic education outcome crisis,” and to reconsider his executive order they had previously voted down, creating a new Alaska Department of Agriculture that he said would strengthen food security in Alaska.