Family friend and Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Curt Menard said he would have never guessed that Palin's tenacity would bring her this far.

CNN: Palin's swift rise is the talk of her Alaskan town

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm, straight-line winds, flooding, and landslides in the areas of Alaska Gateway REAA, Chugach REAA, Denali Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, and the Matanuska Susitna Borough.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Signs Alaska Disaster Declaration