DOT details $109 million in Typhoon Hawang emergency repairs, FEMA share remains uncertain
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Summary
DOT told a House finance subcommittee it expects roughly $109 million in department repair costs from Typhoon Hawang, has spent about $53.5 million so far and is exploring contingencies if federal reimbursement falls short. FEMA reimbursement timing and share remain unresolved.
Deputy Commissioner Catherine Keith told the House Finance Department of Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee on Feb. 5 that the department expects roughly $109 million in work tied to emergency repairs from Typhoon Hawang and related storms, and that the department has expended about $53.5 million to date.
"We are expecting about 109,000,000 for overall costs, and this is for the department's work," Keith said during the midyear FY26 briefing. She said DOT had deployed contractors and staff across the state, with drone and ground assessments in more than 60 impacted communities and roughly 240 staff involved in recovery operations.
Keith described the scale of the effort in technical terms: about 73,000 feet of board road will need replacement, roughly 8,000 helical piles must be drilled, and the department has hauled approximately 12 million pounds of materials into affected communities.
Chair Hannon raised recent press reports that FEMA would reimburse only 75% of disaster costs. "We heard in the news this week that FEMA... has said, we're gonna give you 75%," Hannon said. Keith responded that DOT understands FEMA provided a 100% federal share through Jan. 15 for expenditures through that date and that the department had recorded roughly $35 million of expenditures in that period. "Expenditures after that... we'll be working with Department of Military and Veterans Affairs," she said, adding that the final federal share and state portion will be determined through DMVA's supplemental disaster request and discussions with FEMA.
DOT officials described contingency options if anticipated federal funding is reduced or delayed, including fund swaps and the potential sale of a state vessel (the Matanuska), which DOT estimates could provide in the low tens of millions for the Marine Highway System but would be deposited into the vessel replacement fund and require legislative appropriation to expend for other uses.
What happens next: DOT said it will continue work with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the congressional delegation to seek restoration or clarification of grant opportunities and urged readiness for scenarios where some state funds would be needed pending federal action.
This account is based on the Feb. 5 subcommittee hearing; DOT has not yet provided a final, audited breakdown of actuals versus expected costs and DOT said it can supply more precise figures on expenditures through Jan. 15 upon request.