[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 76 (Monday, June 3, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3891-S3892]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ALASKA FLOODING

  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I rise today to describe the devastating 
spring breakup flooding affecting my home State of Alaska. As we just 
heard about Kansas, weather patterns are affecting long-term droughts 
in farmlands, while in Alaska it is warm weather that is actually going 
in the opposite direction.
  Over the last several weeks our country has witnessed devastating 
tornadoes in Oklahoma. Our hearts go out to the families of Moore, 
Oklahoma City, and many others that have been affected, as they rebuild 
their lives.
  Disasters such as these remind us of the importance of family and 
community, and it should make us again examine the work being done by 
FEMA and other agencies to help communities prepare for natural 
disasters. While it didn't make national news, Alaska's families along 
the Yukon River are putting their lives back together after record 
flooding last week.
  Thick river ice, high temperatures, and fast melting combined to 
flood the community of Galena during what we call ``breakup'' in 
Alaska. For those who have never witnessed it, breakup on Alaska's 
biggest and mightiest river is a spectacle almost beyond description. 
As the ice begins to move, buckle, and crack, you can sometimes hear it 
from miles away. The trouble is, in the wrong conditions, the moving 
ice can get caught where the rivers make their natural bends. It piles 
up into mountains of jumbled ice, creating a natural dam that floods 
everything behind it, or when it suddenly breaks loose, torrents of 
raging water and ice rush downstream. This year breakup has, 
unfortunately, caused some extreme conditions in interior Alaska.
  Last week, quickly rising waters from a 30-mile ice jam along the 
Yukon River had the village of Galena underwater for 3 days. This is an 
example of what you can see. The woods, the trees are there, but all 
along there is water burying the buildings.

[[Page S3892]]

  Galena is a village of fewer than 500 people located in the interior 
of Alaska. At least 300 of these residents had to be evacuated to keep 
them from danger. Others moved to buildings on higher ground to keep 
safe from the rising water.
  We are grateful to be able to say no deaths or serious injuries have 
been reported. It is a miracle when you look at the photos of the 
damage. As I said, this photo, the aerial photo of Galena, shows the 
extent of the damage. As mentioned, this was a severe flood. It came on 
very fast, and we had to try to deal with this very quickly because the 
power of the Yukon, when it is moving, is fast and furious. These ice 
jams move fast once they break. It is the worst flooding they have seen 
in 70 years.
  When this happens in very remote communities such as Galena, they 
don't have communications, river-monitoring technology, and 
transportation infrastructure to react quickly. Let me remind people 
that you cannot drive out of this community. You have to fly out of 
this community. So when the river is breaking, it is all hands on deck 
for everybody.

  We are thankful for the response by the Tanana Chiefs Conference, 
which safely evacuated many residents. The American Red Cross, the 
Salvation Army, and many volunteers provided invaluable help. I am 
proud of the community for coming together to support each other and 
evacuating the elders and those most in need first. Alaskans are the 
type of people who are always willing to lend a hand to their neighbor.
  This flood hit the community hard. Nearly every structure in Galena 
and the surrounding 25-mile-wide valley basin was under water. You can 
see here in this photo how that water moved and flooded out the whole 
area. The ice jam on the Yukon causing this flooding isn't gone yet. 
Villages down river from Galena, such as St. Mary's or Holy Cross, 
remain on alert and are bracing for their possible evacuation.
  Once again I remind folks, you cannot drive out of these communities, 
you have to fly out or take the river. The people who live along the 
Yukon River respect it as a resource but know that living along the 
banks can also bring dangerous conditions which we must prepare for.
  Although the waters in Galena are subsiding, we know the real work is 
just beginning. This community must rebuild stronger, more prepared for 
future disasters. And they must do so within the short summer 
construction season, an added complication for Alaska. Again, our 
spring is here now, summer will soon be here, and within 3\1/2\ months 
winter will be back.
  As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency 
Management, I take this flooding event very seriously. I have been in 
touch with local leaders, State disaster response agencies, and FEMA. I 
will remain engaged throughout the cleanup and rebuilding process.
  I am working with the State on this emergency, and I will make sure 
we have all the resources possible as Galena repairs and rebuilds. The 
emergency response priorities right now are restoring essential 
services and getting people back in their homes. I am pleased Alaska's 
Governor Parnell declared a State disaster for Galena last week, and I 
urge the President to act quickly to declare a Federal disaster to free 
up vital resources to help our State and its people recover.
  Responding to natural disasters in Alaska is very different than in 
the lower 48. We have very unique challenges. It is important to have 
some perspective on the size and scope of Alaska. Alaska's land is two-
and-a-half times the size of the State of Texas. Our road system is 
smaller than that of Rhode Island, and 82 percent of Alaskan 
communities are only accessible by air. Flying from Galena to 
Fairbanks, or back and forth, is equivalent to flying from Washington, 
DC, to New York. Actually, it is a little longer. It is an amazing 
distance when you have to go from place to place.
  I remind folks, as you can see the great Yukon, in order to bring 
supplies and necessities in, it is an hour-long flight from the 
Fairbanks region. This makes the traditional lower 48 disaster response 
unrealistic for Alaska. In most communities we don't have the road 
system to truck in critical supplies. We frequently rely on skilled 
bush pilots and boat captains to bring relief to communities in need. 
Our pilots are often forced to land on gravel runways or river sandbars 
and our barge captains must navigate dangerous waters to access rural 
villages.
  Most residents of the lower 48 couldn't even begin to imagine these 
experiences. This disaster in Galena is a stark reminder of why we must 
continue to invest in the aviation and maritime lifelines Alaskans rely 
on for survival.
  Another issue unique to my State is the absence of broadband access 
in rural areas. When I say that, most people say: What is the big deal? 
Everyone is hooked up. Not in Alaska. This is something most people 
would consider critical infrastructure in order to respond to 
disasters.
  Increased broadband deployment throughout rural Alaska would help 
communities such as Galena by providing vital information, such as 
telehealth access to help injured residents, up-to-date information on 
changing weather conditions, better communication between responders 
and the disaster response center, and information on incident response 
teams and cleanup strategies.
  I might relate a personal example here. When I called the individual 
in charge of the situation on the ground, we were waiting for another 
radio call-in--let me repeat that: a radio call-in--to get an update 
from someone on the site because the technology doesn't exist at the 
level necessary to monitor a disaster of this magnitude.
  This disaster is a reminder of the inequities that still exist in 
serving rural America. I will continue to look for ways to work with my 
Senate colleagues to act to provide rural communities with better 
broadband access, not only for emergency disasters, such as we are 
having here, but also for basic communication.
  All these factors mean Alaskans must work and respond differently 
when disasters occur in our State. As our State emergency response 
chief often tells me, ``You can't do `big city' response in most of 
Alaska.'' FEMA rules don't always work for rural Alaska. One key 
concern is making sure FEMA programs for individual assistance are 
fully employed and complement State assistance.
  I am hopeful that between the Federal, State, local, and tribal 
governments we can get some much-needed assistance to the residents of 
Galena who are living through this nightmare. I know how strong the 
people of Galena are, and we know they will continue to stick together 
through this trying time. But they couldn't do it without the ongoing 
support of the National Guard and the Alaska Department of Homeland 
Security Emergency Management Office. We will all continue to work with 
them as we help the residents of Galena get back on their feet.
  Looking forward, as chairman of the Emergency Management 
Subcommittee, I will be holding listening sessions in Alaska to discuss 
preparedness and mitigation solutions to natural disasters. Because it 
is not just the interior that faces serious threats from natural 
disasters, we must also consider North Slope communities that are often 
confronting changes from the warming Arctic. It is important for us to 
tackle these issues head on, to create public-private partnerships, 
strong communication lines, and disaster response plans so our 
communities are protected and our residents are safe.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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