Newtok asks: Can the U.S. deal with slow-motion climate disasters?

Newtok is asking for ongoing erosion and thawing permafrost to be qualified for federal disaster relief from FEMA. Village relocation coordinator Romy Cadiente spoke with reporters about the effort to relocate the village, Aug. 15, 2016. (Photo by Eric Keto/Alaska’s Energy Desk)The village of Newtok has requested a federal disaster declaration from President Barack Obama to address ongoing erosion and thawing permafrost. It’s one of the first tests of whether the nation’s