Powerful rain, wind, and flooding have once again ravaged our state – this time our small communities up and down the coast.
The damage we are seeing is devastating to working waterfronts, small businesses, public roadways. And more storms ahead could make matters worse.
Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.
Following the severe rain, wind, and tidal flooding that battered Maine Tuesday night into Wednesday, I have declared a State of Civil Emergency for all of Maine’s coastal counties. That declaration formalizes our all-hands-on-deck response and it ensures that every State resource will be available to towns across Maine, and it puts Maine in the best position to seek Federal disaster support in the coming weeks.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and the Maine Forest Service are working with local partners to assess the damage caused by the storm along the coast.
That review is one of the first steps we have to take on the way to requesting a Major Disaster Declaration from the President of the United States. If that Declaration is granted by President Biden, it will make available critical Federal financial assistance to help our state recover from this storm.
Maine people can help us document the damage from the storm. So, if you’re experiencing property damage because of the storm, please report it by calling 2-1-1.
Sharing your information will help us estimate the full impact of the storm and help us request the maximum amount of Federal aid available to support our recovery.
Now, it’s important to know that reporting damage is not the same as applying for personal assistance or reimbursement, or filing an insurance claim, and I certainly encourage you also to file claims with your homeowner’s insurance or your auto insurance if you’re experiencing property damage.
My Administration has also created a central online resource that contains up-to-date information from the Maine Bureau of Insurance on flooding and storm-related insurance claims, as well as directions on how to report storm damage to the state, and up-to-date road closures, and information about how to safely deal with tree debris, for instance. That website is maine.gov/governor/mills/flood -- all lowercase.
My Administration will do what we can to support the swift recovery of coastal communities that were hit so hard by the storm this week. And we will closely monitor and prepare for another storm forecast for this weekend.
As always, I strongly urge Maine people to follow the direction of local emergency officials to protect themselves and their property to the greatest extent possible. Please remember, it is never safe to walk through flowing water, or to drive through flooded areas, or to drive around road barriers – and never, never touch a downed wire.
Extreme weather events are becoming more and more common, and our state is not immune. That’s why, as part of our Climate Action Plan, we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we’re investing significant resources to make our communities more resilient to the effects of climate change and the intensity of these recent storms.
In the wake of these storms, and in anticipation of those to come, it’s time for us all to recognize as a state that we must prepare for the impacts of these weather events and other effects of climate change.
We need to build back our working waterfronts in the short-term and preserve our dunes and beaches and keep all people safe.
In the meantime, thank you for listening, and please stay safe this weekend. This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.