A group that helped 100 households recover from the deadly December 2020 storm is suspending its services as the storm’s second anniversary approaches.

“The majority of the work involved in recovery will continue by individual organizations. Unfortunately, the needs exceed available resources, and we will not be able to help everyone,” Haines Long Term Recovery Group (LTRG) coordinator Sylvia Heinz said in a press release.

The LTRG was formed in the aftermath of severe flooding and landslides that killed two residents and damaged dozens of homes in Haines. The group has coordinated distribution of nearly $2 million to Haines households needing disaster assistance, according to the press release. It served to connect affected residents to resources, collect data on recovery needs and promote coordination among community organizations.

It “was a source for information and direction regarding individual disaster recovery and provided leadership for all the organizations and individuals involved,” Heinz said, who added that navigating the recovery process can be confusing and difficult.

About 250 households, or 34% of the community, reported damage after the severe weather event, the press release said. And 131 households, or 18% of the Haines community, applied for assistance from the LTRG. Thirty one households remain in need of assistance, Heinz said.

“The work is transferring to individual organizations because there isn’t funding and resources to continue the coordinated effort,” Heinz said. The coordinator position was the group’s only paid position, but other organizations compensated staff to work with the group and about half of the group members were volunteers, Heinz said.

Chilkoot Indian Association (CIA), Southeast Alaska Independent Living and the Salvation Army will continue disaster assistance on a case-by-case basis, according to the LTRG press release.

“The big message is we’re still here. SAIL isn’t going anywhere, (nor are) CIA, the Salvation Army. We are community organizations that are set up to serve emerging needs. And that is not changing,” said LTRG chair and SAIL development director Sara Chapell. “It felt like as a long-term recovery group our work was naturally wrapping up.”

To date, according to the press release, CIA has distributed $611,000 to households affected by the disaster. The state, through its individual assistance program, has distributed almost $500,000 to Haines households. The Salvation Army and Team Rubicon have distributed over $200,000 each and a number of other organizations have also pitched in, including Chilkat Valley Community Foundation, Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and Haines Chamber of Commerce.

Shannon McPhetres said she is “very appreciative” of the work the LTRG did to help her family address damage caused by flooding. The storm created a sinkhole near the McPhetres’ Young Road home and diverted drainage toward their house. Their basement frequently flooded in subsequent rains, McPhetres said.

“It was kind of like a stream came across into our house,” McPhetres said. “We had our fuel tank tied to a tree so it didn’t fall into the sinkhole.”

McPhetres called the LTRG “a great resource just to have for pointing out who to talk to and what to do.”

The group helped McPhetres and her family address the flooding issue and other damage and connected them with CIA, which is helping with storm-caused erosion on their property. Still, McPhetres said, “We know there are many (residents) that have far greater needs than we do.”

The effects of the storm that caused extensive flooding and dozens of landslides around the borough are still felt, particularly on Beach Road, where a massive slide killed two residents and severely damaged several properties.

Last month the Alaska Department of Natural Resources granted a land swap to a Beach Road couple whose home was swept away by a slide, and earlier this month the borough assembly approved the first step in a process that could result in a federally funded buyout of another Beach Road property. Many affected residents, however, weren’t eligible for either program.

“Recovery takes so long,” Heinz said. “The work was huge, and it feels like it never ends. It still hasn’t ended. There’s always more to do.”