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Disaster Ready: A Day in the Life of Alaska’s Emergency Management Professionals By Morrow Duszynski

The reality is, that we are ALL Emergency Management Professionals. As the communications specialist for the UAF College of Business and Security Management - and someone whose science background stops at Nutrition 101—I never imagined I’d find myself sitting among geologists, tsunami experts, and earthquake specialists. But there I was, attending the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) kickoff meeting, where the focus was on safety planning for 2025.

What struck me most during this meeting is that no matter your background - whether in marketing, engineering, theater or marine biology, the work done by professionals in Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) fields affects all. With the spike of natural disasters, climate change, and the delicate conditions in the Arctic, Alaska needs more trained professionals.

Morrow Duszynski (third from right) stands with the planning team after the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program kickoff meeting. Photo by Morrow Duszynski.

NTHMP Kickoff Meeting - Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Alaska

This October, I sat down with emergency management professionals from around Alaska to discuss earthquake and tsunami safety in 2025. We started the night before by getting to know each other over dinner at The Library, a local restaurant that serves appetizers, flatbreads, weekly specials, and cocktails named after literature. The next day, I joined a planning meeting between NTHMP and their partners including directors, scientists, educators, and other professionals from various organizations like the Alaska Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, the Alaska Earthquake Center, and the UAF Geophysical Institute.

Left: The UAF Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day with food, dancing, and other activities. Middle: UAF CBSM Alumni Anthony Picasso surveys damage after Typhoon Merbok in Selawik, Alaska. Right: The welcome sign at the UAF Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel, a village affected by the typhoon.

Check out these insider tips:

Go to community science events and practice public speaking
Seek out funding to go on projects with professionals in graduate school
Think about long-term emergencies that are not talked about, e.g. food security, caribou runs, sea ice melting, salmon runs, future landslides
Increase your science literacy and knowledge of grant management
Learn how the world is interconnected

Natural Disasters in Alaska

Alaska belongs to one of the eight Arctic regions in the world, an area that is undergoing swift transformation, accelerated growth, and heightened exploratory focus. (Bennett et al., 2022) Over the past few years, communities have been impacted by many natural disasters including Typhoon Merbok, the Mendenhall River flooding, and the Bering Sea ice blasts.

Typhoon Merbok

According to the USGS, Typhoon Merbok, an extreme storm that hit the west coast of Alaska in Sep. 2022 impacted more than 35 Alaska Native communities spanning 1,300 miles. Alaska Public Media stated that over a year’s worth of food supply was destroyed and that Nome experienced winds of 70 mph. Many homes were filled with sand and water, while some were swept away completely.

A home in Nome, Alaska gets swept away and trapped under a bridge. Photo courtesy Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program

Mendenhall River Flooding

This August, the flooding of the Mendenhall River affected the community of Juneau for the second year in a row damaging homes, filling the streets, and forcing residents to relocate. Caused by a glacial outburst, the incident was said to have released enough water to “fill more than 22,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools,” according to Haley Thiem from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Aaron Jacobs from the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Juneau.

A neighborhood in Juneau goes underwater in August 2024 after the Mendenhall River flooding. Photo courtesy Alaska National Guard

Bering Sea Ice Blasts

Subsequently, in August 2024, the Bering Sea ice blasts were caused by a series of storms felt along the lower Kuskokwim Delta and in the western areas of Bristol Bay. KYUK - Public Media for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta reported that riverbank erosion rose to between 10 and 20 feet. It was stated that the flooding was worse than Typhoon Merbok, and potentially even the worst in three decades.

The coastal community of Kwigillingok floods in a stormy mid-August. Photo courtesy Lewis Martin

Many of these incidents have been accelerated by the effects of climate change and the rapid decline of sea ice.

“Since 2012, each September, the minimum area continues to decline, as younger and thinner ice, which is easier to melt, has replaced older, thicker ice. Based on the latest projections of future sea ice from CMIP-6 simulations that were run with scenarios of expected anthropogenic forcing, summer sea ice is expected to disappear by 2050”

Dr. Alec Bennett, Dr. Troy Bouffard, Uma S. Bhatt - Arctic Sea Ice Decline and Geoengineering Solutions: Cascading Security and Ethical Considerations

Take a step to make a difference.

Many resources are available whether you are a student, community member, or already in the emergency management field.
CBSM is privileged to work with our partners at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its Tribal Liaison program to guide students into in-person cohorts, internships, and a variety of specialized training. Whether you’re a student or a seasoned professional, resources are available to help you take the next step.
There are also many opportunities available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) including in-person cohorts, internships, and online training. CBSM has hosted cohorts and trainings with FEMA.

Graduates from an in-person cohort between UAF CBSM and FEMA stand together in front of the Joseph E. Usibelli building at the Troth Yeddha' Campus.

For more information about the emergency management program, contact the program director John Pennington or schedule an appointment with an advisor.

Resources

Bennett, A. P., Bouffard, T. J., & Bhatt, U. S. (2022). Arctic Sea Ice Decline and Geoengineering Solutions: Cascading Security and Ethical Considerations. Challenges, 13(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13010022
Smiley, Sage. “Multiple Storms to Bring Rain and Potential Storm Surge to the Kuskokwim Delta Coast.” KYUK - Public Media for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska Public Media, NPR, PBS, American Public Media, Native Voice One, 14 Aug. 2024, www.kyuk.org/public-safety/2024-08-14/multiple-storms-to-bring-rain-and-potential-storm-surge-to-the-kuskokwim-delta-coast. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
“Tsunamis in Alaska.” Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, earthquake.alaska.edu/about-tsunamis-alaska. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Thiem , Haley. “2024 Glacial Outburst Flood near Juneau Sets Record for Second Year in a Row.” Climate.Gov, NOAA, 9 Aug. 2024, www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/2024-glacial-outburst-flood-near-juneau-sets-record-second-year-row. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
White, Ava. “Western Alaskans Remember Typhoon Merbok a Year Later.” Alaska Public Media, PBS, NPR, 26 Dec. 2023, alaskapublic.org/2023/09/25/western-alaskans-remember-typhoon-merbok-a-year-later/. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

This article was partially generated by Chat GPT to assist with content structuring.