[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.
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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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