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Assembly approves hazard mitigation plan update; borough sends plan to state and FEMA review
Summary
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly approved an update to the borough Hazard Mitigation Plan on March 6; the plan has been sent to the state and FEMA for final review, staff told the Planning & Zoning Commission on March 12.
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly approved an update to the borough Hazard Mitigation Plan on March 6, staff told the Planning & Zoning Commission at its March 12 work session. Borough staff said the plan has been distributed to cities within the borough for their adoption and submitted to the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for state review; the state will forward the plan to FEMA for final approval.
"Once they're done, they will send it to FEMA for their final review and approval," the staff member Chris said. He explained that once FEMA approves the plan, the borough will be eligible to apply for certain hazard-mitigation grants and that individual cities must adopt the plan locally before they can use it to support grant applications.
Staff described an ongoing hazard-mitigation grant project: a hydrology and hydraulic study of Russian River and Sergeant Creek to inform potential bridge work by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The staff presentation said the hydrology study is approximately 70% complete and is expected to finish in late summer or early fall of 2025. That study will inform DOT&PF work on bridges and possible hard-infrastructure mitigation for houses at risk of flooding.
Commissioners also raised landslide and debris-flow mitigation as possible projects of interest. Chris said the city has completed a landslide study and may pursue mitigation projects; the borough's shared emergency-management coordinator (a position funded jointly by the city and borough) could be involved in coordination.
Why it matters: Formal adoption by FEMA enables local governments to qualify for hazard-mitigation funding and implement projects designed to reduce risk to life and property. The ongoing hydrology study and potential bridge and landslide projects relate directly to flood and slope risk in borough neighborhoods.
Next steps: The plan awaits state and FEMA review and approval; staff will continue project-level work such as the hydrology study and coordination with DOT&PF and local cities.
