State, federal officials try to dispel confusion surrounding Merbok aid, help with appeals

Representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS) gathered on Friday at the Mini Convention Center to assist community members still seeking aid in the wake of Typhoon Merbok.
They came at the invitation of Representative Neal Foster (D-Nome). Governor Mike Dunleavy also visited the event, but left before the evening presentation.
The event was sparsely attended. At the 5:30PM presentation, less than half of the two-dozen people in the Mini were community members. The rest were representatives of FEMA and various state agencies, and reporters.
The meeting unfolded against a fading backdrop of frustration at the complicated process of receiving aid following the historic storm that caused widespread damage to Western Alaska in September of last year.
On Friday, FEMA officials set up a mobile office in the Mini with laptops and folding tables to assist community members. The window to register for aid related to Merbok closed on February 6, 2023, but registrants can file an appeal up to 60 days after receiving FEMA’s decision. Reasons to appeal might include higher-than-expected repair costs or uncovering more damages that were not initially reported.
Phil Wernisch, an external affairs officer with FEMA, urged applicants to file their appeals as quickly as possible, warning that late appeals will only be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those who did not register before February 6 are ineligible for FEMA aid related to Merbok damages.

In comments to the audience, Bryan Fisher, the director of the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS), offered a candid appraisal of the relief process. “One of the things that I’ve seen in my career doing this in the state, is it’s confusing as all get-out.”
Barriers to Aid
In interviews with The Nugget, state and federal officials explained some of the hurdles that prevented regional residents from receiving aid. One was an overwhelmed FEMA call center, owing in part to Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, which caused widespread damage in Puerto Rico, Florida, and South Carolina at the same time that Merbok made landfall in Western Alaska. According to one official, the hold times at the FEMA call center stretched to “three or four hours” during the days immediately following Merbok.
Adding to the problem was the FEMA call center personnel’s lack of familiarity with Western Alaska. Many residents may have been told incorrectly that four-wheelers, snowmachines, and other subsistence equipment were not eligible for FEMA assistance. This was partly remedied when an Alaska-specific FEMA hotline was established in Anchorage. The hotline remains staffed, but is now located in Washington State (1-888-342-1699).
Another complicating factor acknowledged by Mr. Fisher and others is how individuals applying for non-housing-related FEMA assistance are first directed to the Small Business Administration (SBA), where they are required to apply for a loan before being considered for state or non-housing-related FEMA assistance.
Lance “Duke” Davis, FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer in charge of coordinating the response to Merbok, explained that the loan application is a procedural step, and that being approved for a loan does not require the applicant to accept the loan offer.
Following a federal disaster, FEMA releases housing-specific funds to all affected individuals, but non-housing-related funds, called “Other Needs Assistance,” are generally needs-based. Confusingly, the process of applying for the Small Business Administration loan is how FEMA determines eligibility for Other Needs Assistance. Many low-income applicants for the SBA loan are rejected. Those rejected applicants are then eligible for Other Needs Assistance grants, which are offered debt-free.
Al Cavallo, Disaster Assistance Program Manager for the State, explained to The Nugget that most rural Alaskan applications for SBA loans are rejected. Once they are rejected, they are then referred to the Other Needs Assistance program.
A third hurdle to regional residents receiving aid is a persistent confusion about how to document losses and building damages. FEMA representatives emphasized that receipts are not necessary to prove ownership, and that any local government official (e.g., a tribal council member) could write a letter simply describing the property loss, which can then be emailed, mailed, or faxed to FEMA. Photographs establishing proof of ownership are similarly not required.
To calculate building damages, any member of the local community with relevant experience may write an estimate to attach to an aid application.
The entire presentation lasted under an hour. And despite the obvious best intentions of the state and federal officials, no mention was made of the challenges community members may have faced navigating FEMA’s websites and documents with limited access to reliable Internet, personal computers, and printers.

State Aid for Subsistence Cabins
FEMA regulations do not permit assistance for subsistence cabins. But the State DHS stepped in to provide aid specifically for this category of claim—a first in state history. To date, the state has paid out $2.2 million across 242 claims in the Bering Straits region to assist with damaged subsistence cabins, according to Mr. Cavallo.
When pressed about whether regional residents could still apply to the state assistance program, Mr. Cavallo sounded a hopeful but noncommittal tone, noting that the deadline to apply has technically passed, but “we are a little more forgiving than FEMA.”
For a prospective late applicant who came to the state today claiming only subsistence structure damages, “the initial response might be a denial, and then they’d just have to come back and explain” the reason for the late response. “Our default is to try to help everyone,” Cavallo explained. “We don’t like to say no.”
Households may be eligible for up to $18,950 in state aid for subsistence structures. More information about applying for the state aid program can be found by calling the state hotline at 1-844-445-7131.

Looking ahead
According to Mr. Davis, FEMA processed 1,300 aid applications related to Merbok across Western Alaska. Anecdotal reports suggest that this number might have been higher if the application process were simpler.
Fortunately, it appears that Merbok may leave lasting changes in how FEMA and the state approach future disasters in the region. Moreover, Congress is currently considering the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act. The Act would direct FEMA to create a unified aid application, which could streamline the process of applying for aid. This could lead to significant improvements, but Mr. Fisher cautioned, “it’s going to take them a long time to figure out how to do that.”

In the meantime, Mr. Davis offered this advice to would-be aid applicants: “If you’re not sure, please register.” Registering with FEMA in the days or weeks following a disaster is a critical step, as those who registered are able to work with FEMA to receive aid over a period of months or even years. Those who do not register within the required timeline have relatively few resources once the deadline passes.