FEMA denies emergency funds to repair Talkeetna Dike

A request for federal disaster funding to repair the Talkeetna dike has been denied by the Federal Emergency Management Administration. The fund was one source of money the Borough had hoped would be made available to reconstruct the flood barrier.
A Mat Su Borough application for disaster funding to repair a number of flood-damaged structures has been denied by FEMA. Borough Emergency Services Manager Casey Cook says the Disaster funding was one pool of money that had been hoped would help rebuild the Talkeetna Dike, as well as areas around the Wastewater Lagoon as well as damage to Yoder road.

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Cook says the borough is in the process of appealing that decision, based on any additional information they can provide about the pre-flood condition of the dike

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Cook says a second application is still pending, which is a non-emergency fund geared towards future flood mitigation. The borough is still waiting to hear back about this.

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The US Army Corps of Engineers makes regular assessments of the flood defense structures like the Dike, and a records request is being processed to see what condition the dike was in before September’s high-water event.