Before the Native Village of Ouzinkie, Alaska, could use the $2 million direct congressional spending grant they were awarded to build a tsunami shelter, they needed to have an approved hazard mitigation plan. They turned to FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Direct Technical Assistance (BRIC DTA).
The village is a federally recognized tribe with about 100 residents. It is on Spruce Island—to the north of Kodiak Island—and is only accessible by air or water. The village has a history of tsunamis and has been trying to build a shelter to keep its residents safe.
Tammy Jones, a grants administrator for the village, said after they were awarded the $2 million grant they couldn’t build the shelter without the hazard mitigation plan. “The relentless pursuit of FEMA led us to apply to [BRIC] DTA.” Then, in May 2024, she attended a meeting hosted by FEMA Region 10 to discuss how Tribal Nations can leverage BRIC DTA. There are currently 74 communities and tribes receiving support from BRIC DTA.
The village applied and then was selected to receive BRIC DTA nonfinancial support from August 2022 to August 2025. After seven months of receiving FEMA’s help with conceptualizing their tsunami shelter project and getting non-financial holistic hazard mitigation planning and project support, they had an approved hazard mitigation plan.
Resources
- Watch this video to learn more about the story of the Native Village of Ouzinkie’s tsunami shelter project.
- Learn more about how BRIC DTA helps communities and tribes reduce disaster damage, build community resilience, and sustain successful mitigation programs.