When former Typhoon Halong devastated dozens of rural Alaska communities in October, the disaster response has highlighted the unique challenges faced by villages in Alaska’s unorganized borough, where communities depend entirely on state coordination rather than local government during emergencies.
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region, home to many of the hardest-hit communities, sits within Alaska’s vast unorganized borough — an area with no local government structure, according to Alaska State Rep. Nellie Jimmie, D-Toksook Bay.
“Because the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and surrounding areas are part of Alaska’s unorganized borough, there is no borough government to lead disaster response,” Jimmie explained in a social media post detailing her office’s coordination efforts following the October storms. “That means our office has been serving as the main level of coordination alongside Yukon Kuskokwim Regional Tribal Government between communities and the many state and federal agencies involved.”
