On Sept. 25, leaders from communities across the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta gathered in Bethel to discuss emergency response. The goal of the workshop was to help 16 coastal region villages — including Eek, Quinhagak, and the three tundra villages — to refine emergency response plans in the wake of Typhoon Merbok. It was the second installment this year of the days-long workshop, after a first iteration was held in Bethel in February for a different roster of communities on the lower Yukon.
The emergency planning process included anticipating impacts from storms, flooding, and permafrost degradation. Workshops also covered topics such as writing disaster declarations and how to develop long-term recovery plans.
The villages were represented at the workshop by tribal leaders, community representatives, and tribal and village police officers.
The workshops are a partnership between the Association of Village Council Presidents and the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. They have been held in Bethel’s Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center.
A spokesperson from the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said that the partnership plans to hold its next workshop in February 2026 with invitations open to Kuskokwim River area communities from Lime Village downriver through Bethel. That training will have a focus on river watch and flood response specific to the Kuskokwim River.