RAPID: Assessing Flood-Related Environmental Exposures in Rural Alaska Through Paired Pre- and Post-Event Data

This Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant supports research that aims to investigate how severe flooding associated with Typhoon Halong altered environmental exposure conditions in the rural Alaska Native community of Tuntutuliak in western Alaska. The project leverages a rare opportunity created when researchers collected indoor and outdoor environmental samples in the community just two weeks before the October 2025 flooding event. By returning to the same homes and community facilities after the flood, the research team will generate a unique paired pre- and post-flood dataset to evaluate changes in mold contamination, drinking water quality, heavy metals, bacteria, and microplastics in homes and surrounding soils. The study will examine how floodwater intrusion, moisture conditions, housing characteristics, and household recovery practices influence environmental exposures in remote Arctic communities with limited water and sanitation infrastructure. Researchers will conduct indoor air and surface mold sampling, drinking water testing, and soil contamination analyses, while also engaging residents through surveys and interviews about their experiences before, during, and after the flood. The project will advance scientific understanding of how extreme flooding affects environmental health conditions in rural and Indigenous communities, where few comparable data currently exist. The findings will help inform disaster preparedness, resilient housing strategies, and public health responses in Alaska Native villages and other remote communities facing increasing climate-related flooding risks. This project also emphasizes community engagement and culturally responsive research practices. Results will be shared with residents, tribal organizations, public health agencies, and emergency management partners to support recovery planning and future resilience efforts. Because environmental conditions and community experiences change rapidly following flooding events, the data collected through this RAPID effort are highly time-sensitive and cannot be recreated retrospectively. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2613541 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Somayeh Asadi | Institution: University of Virginia Main Campus, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | Award Amount: $166,246 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2613541 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2613541.html