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Grants Administration

Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) – 2023 Lower Yukon Floods

FEMA Disaster #4730

Lower Yukon area map

The 2023 Lower Yukon Flooding Draft Action plan is available for public comment!

1. Access the Draft 2023 Lower Yukon Flooding Action Plan

2. How to Comment on the Draft Lower Yukon Flood ARP.

  • Email your comments to cdbgdr@alaska.gov.
  • Testify during our Wednesday December 3rd Public Hearing. See initial details below.

3. Join us for the Public Hearing on Wednesday, December 3

  • WHAT: DCRA is hosting a Public Hearing to share information about the CDBG-DR process and to hear public testimony on the Draft Lower Yukon Flood Action Plan.
  • WHEN: Wednesday, December 3rd from 12:00 to 1:00 PM.
  • HOW: This Public Hearing will be conducted virtually via Zoom – Registration details: Call-in number: 1-669-444-9171 / Meeting ID: 815 7261 0951 / Click here: Zoom link

4. What Comes Next...

  • November 20-December 21, 2025 | Public Comment Period. During the public comment, including the December 3rd public hearing, the project team will document all comments, including when and how they were received, by whom, and the content of the comment.
  • December 22-30, 2025 | After the Public Comment Period closes, the project team will review all comments, assess, and make agreed-to recommended revisions to the Draft Action Recovery Plan.
  • December 31, 2025 | DCRA will submit the ARP to HUD, including a detailed record of all public comments and how they were addressed from Public Review Draft to the Final Draft as submitted to HUD.
  • January 2026-June 2026 | The project team will implement a robust Public Engagement Process to further refine data related to and prioritization of unmet needs resulting from the impacts of Lower Yukon Flood.

The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development works to rebuild Alaskan communities by putting Alaskans back in their homes, restoring critical infrastructure and mitigating future damage through resilient community planning.

The Division of Community and Regional Affairs is the lead agency for administering the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds on behalf of the State of Alaska for the 2023 Lower Yukon Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA) Flooding (CDBG-DR 2023 Lower Yukon Flooding) funds on behalf of the State of Alaska.

On January 16th, 2025, HUD allocated $10,392,969 for recovery from the 2023 Lower Yukon Flood.

Action Plan

The Division of Community and Regional Affairs is developing a Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan, funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in response to the impacts of the 2023 flooding event in the Lower Yukon. This plan is required by HUD as a way to communicate how CDBG-DR funding will be used in the rebuilding process. It is an important step needed for HUD to release the funding for programs that will help address recovery needs.

The 2023 Lower Yukon Floods Draft Recovery Action Plan includes nine communities identified by HUD as the “most impacted and distressed” (MID) communities, which include Kotlik, Emmonak, Alakanuk, Mountain Village, Pitkas Point, Saint Mary’s, Pilot Station, Marshall, and Russian Mission.

2 Plans, 3 Disasters, 4 Years

This draft plan is being developed at the same time as the 2022 Typhoon Merbok Recovery Action Plan. The project teams are working together with DCRA and the impacted communities to identify remaining Unmet Needs that haven’t been addressed by other funding sources and Mitigation Needs (or ways communities can protect against and prepare for future disasters). A Recovery Action Plan may be developed to address the impacts of Typhoon Halong, but we don’t have information on that yet.

2023 Lower Yukon River Flooding

The Lower Yukon REAA covers approximately 30,000 sq. miles and includes ten (10) riverine communities along the Yukon River. This REAA is located within the boundaries of the Kusilvak Census Area (pop: 8,368) and includes the Cities of Emmonak (pop. 825); Alakanuk (pop. 756); and Russian Mission (pop. 421).

On May 13, 2023, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a state disaster emergency for the Alaska Gateway, Yukon Flats, Kuspuk, and Copper River Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA)s due to flooding. On May 22, 2023, Governor Dunleavy added the Northwest Arctic Borough, the Iditarod REAA, Lower Kuskokwim REAA, and Lower Yukon REAA to the declared disaster areas.

On May 21, 2023, flooding reached Holy Cross inundating low-lying roads and a fueling station.

On May 22, 2023, flooding reached Russian Mission inundating the airstrip for weeks, along with several homes and fuel infrastructure. Homes were evacuated and occupants were sheltered. With sustained flooding of the airstrip causing a shortage of food, medicine, and medical personnel, the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in coordination with Tanana Chief's Conference (TCC), ordered an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter mission to deliver a medical provider and supplies while evacuating the medically fragile. When the water receded weeks later, the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT & PF) made emergency repairs to reopen the airstrip and estimated permanent repairs at six million dollars.

From May 27-30, 2023, flooding reached Emmonak inundating city-owned apartments, infrastructure, and the woman’s shelter, requiring evacuations. In Alakanuk flooding damaged community water and sewage systems, and two homes, requiring evacuation and sheltering.

Applicable Plans

Public Notices

CDBG-DR Administrative Action Plan

CDBG-DR Citizen Participation Plan

CDBG-DR Language Access Plan

CDBG-DR Action Plan and Substantial Amendments

Disaster Recovery Grant Reporting (DRGR)  Action Plan and Quarterly Performance Reports

Programs

2023 Lower Yukon REAA

  • State Administration / Not to exceed 5%
  • State and Local Planning / Not to exceed 15%
  • Resilience and Mitigation / Not to exceed 15%
  • Public Services / Not to exceed 15%
  • Housing Recovery (New Construction, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction)
  • Public Infrastructure Recovery
  • Economic Revitalization

Related Documents

Related Applicable Laws and Regulations

Procurement Policies

Solicitations and Contracts


Confidential Citizen Complaints may be filed at:

https://ak-ombuds.i-sight.com/portal 

or in writing on a complaint form, mailed to

Alaska Ombudsman
1500 West Benson Blvd.,
Anchorage, AK 99503

or via email to 

ombudsman@akleg.gov

or by telephone at

907-269-5290

Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in HUD programs to

https://archives.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/rhiip/uivreporting.cfm


For more information about Alaska CDBG-DR Grants contact

Contact DCRA staff at ced.cra.cdbg.dr.yukon@alaska.gov

Brandon McNaughton
Division of Community and Regional Affairs
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
Location: Anchorage
Phone: (907)269-4501
Fax: (907) 269-4563
brandon.mcnaughton@alaska.gov

Anita Baker
Division of Community and Regional Affairs
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
Location: Anchorage
Phone: (907) 269-4252
Fax: (907) 269-4563
anita.baker@alaska.gov

Revised 11/12/2025

Content Reviewed 11/12/2025

The State of Alaska, Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED), complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This publication is available in alternative communication formats upon request. Please contact the DCRA Publication Specialist at 1-907-269-4560