Governor issues disaster declaration for Tuluksak more than 3 weeks after water plant was destroyed in fire Share on Facebook Print article Gov. Mike Dunleavy authorized a disaster declaration Monday for a Southwest Alaska village that has not had running water for more than three weeks since its water plant burned down. The action will unlock funding for a long-term solution, but officials said Monday that it does not change the current response. “A declaration of disaster is really just a securing of funding streams for recovery,” said Paul Nelson, director of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Response continues to happen whether there’s a declaration in place or not.”