A winter storm hit Golovin, Alaska, causing sea ice to pile up along the beach and disrupting mail services and supplies of infant essentials and supplemental foods. The sea ice in Golovin Bay also cracked, stretching from the coastline of the community right across the bay towards South Spit. The post has been forwarded to ANTHC Emergency Preparedness Program for a consult, and the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is responsible for providing support to communities to plan for, respond to and recover from disasters. The State Emergency Operation Center provides statewide coordination during a response and is available 24/7. ANTHC also supports public health preparedness efforts in communities. The Nome Nugget reported damages to homes and public infrastructure coming in from all over the Seward Peninsula and St. Lawrence Island.

Carol Oliver and Anahma Shannon writes,

We survived another two-three day storm event, with a more permanent berm in place, but, also saw a new event where the sea ice was pushed up along the beach of downtown Golovin. Residents in the community were worried about the ice reaching residential homes, thankfully it calmed down. The sea ice eventually did pile along our beaches because of the winter storm event. No planes were able to fly in or out of Golovin, disrupting our mail service, but, more important concerns among residents of the larger families had run out of essential infant supplies such as milk and diapers. Supplemental foods were also in short supply raising the real issue of food security; thankfully no medivacs were needed. The sea ice in Golovin Bay had also cracked, stretching from the coastline of our community right across the bay towards South Spit. An alternative mode of travel should be considered in any future community planning projects here in Golovin.

LEO says:

This is one of the posts received as a request for situation updates about the winter storm that struck Alaska in late December. The posts have been compiled in the Winter Storm Project which is attached to this observation. There are currently a total of seven observations about the storm from communities in Southcentral Alaska and Western Alaska. As per the safety and emergency planning concerns, the observation has been forwarded to ANTHC Emergency Preparedness Program for a consult.

ANTHC Emergency Preparedness Consult:

Tonya James writes: As an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, it is wonderful to see community members thinking about the elements of community emergency planning. I appreciate any prompt to share information about Alaska’s Disaster Process and advocate for local planning. Within the State of Alaska, the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM) is the entity responsible for providing support to communities to plan for, respond to and recover from disasters. DHS&EM has developed many tools to assist communities in their effort to prepare for disasters.

Planning:

Alaska Emergency Response Guide for Small Communities is a planning tool for local government leaders as they prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster or emergency in their community. The guide will help "bridge the gap" until a local Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is developed as required by Alaska Statute Section 26.23.060 (e).

Small Community Emergency Response Plan (SCERP) is an exciting approach to emergency management for small communities. SCERP is a customized flip book with essential, community-specific information for responding to a disaster. For additional information or questions please call DHS&EM SCERP Planning Team toll-free at 1-800-478-2337 or 1-907-428-7000.

As a reminder, planning really is a cyclical process. It would be great to capture the concerns expressed in this post and share this information with Golovin’s planning team that developed the SCERP to address in the next revision of the SCERP.

Response:

The State Emergency Operation Center is housed within DHS&EM and provides statewide coordination during a response and is available 24/7. We advocate for calling early and calling often. If you have a concern related to disaster it is always recommended to call the SEOC and share the information.
online training opportunities, through FEMA, to learn more about the Incident Command System. DHS&EM also manages a statewide training calendar to watch for more upcoming training.

ANTHC also is committed to supporting public health preparedness efforts in communities. We provide technical assistance and act as liaisons to support communities and the Alaska Tribal Health System to prepare for and respond to disasters. You can learn more about our program through our website."

Media:

The Nome Nugget ‐ New Year's storm pummels Bering Strait, St. Lawrence Island, "According to Jeremy Zidek with the State of Alaska Dept. of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 117 people sheltered overnight in Savoonga at the school on Dec. 31. As of now, the extent of damages is unclear,” said Zidek on Monday. “We have reports of damages to homes and public infrastructure coming in from all over the Seward Peninsula and St. Lawrence Island and it will take a few days for the whole picture to develop. Golovin reported damage to their police station." By Diana Haecker, TNN - Nome (2017-01-06)