Alaskan village hit by erosion and melting permafrost is denied request for disaster declaration
The Alaskan village Newtok is once again making news because they requested a federal disaster declaration to move away from their sinking and crumbling land. Had it been granted, it would have made the village’s relocation eligible for federal funding. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
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The funds they applied for are usually reserved for catastrophes, such as landslides or hurricanes. What the community is experiencing at the moment might not be as sudden as a hurricane, but ultimately the outcome isn’t all too different. According to engineers, the village will lose its current drinking water source and up to six homes by fall this year; the barge landing, landfill and sewage lagoon are already gone.
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Little to no options are left for the close-knit community of Newtok. If they do not get funds to resettle, the community will have to scatter across Alaska and move as far as 500 miles away to Anchorage. For now, however, they will appeal the decision, and in the longer term, they will keep trying to move the village piece by piece.