Last Frontier News

The Tom Lee State Award for Excellence is given annually to recognize an outstanding floodplain management program or activity at the state level.

2022 Winner: Coastal Hazards Program of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys

A 2019 threat assessment report found that 144 Alaska Native communities (43 percent of all communities in the state) are likely to face some degree of infrastructure damage from erosion, flooding, and/or permafrost thaw.

To meet the highly specialized and evolving needs of these small, economically disadvantaged remote Tribal communities across Alaska, this program uses cutting-edge technology and techniques to monitor and forecast erosion, preserve and digitize flood histories, and collect baseline data in communities that have historically lacked information.

Although this type of foundational data is taken for granted in many parts of the United States, it is an important first step in supporting coastal flood mapping, coastal flood forecasting, and improved tide predictions for these remote communities who urgently need reliable flood information to inform local planning decisions.   

Program Manager Jacquelyn Overbeck and her team have a demonstrated track record of success in finding innovative solutions to meet the challenges of hazard mitigation in rural Alaska, collaborating with entities of all types to achieve a common goal, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to disadvantaged vulnerable Indigenous communities striving to address natural hazards.

The program has forged innovative collaborations with non-state partners such as FEMA, NOAA, USGS, and the National Weather Service. Indeed, the nomination was supported by multiple state departments, federal agencies, local government representatives, and by tribal-serving entities.

Original source can be found here.