Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening on the eve of a great new year.
To support response and recovery efforts following the severe wind and rain storm and the flooding of last week, I have directed my Administration to seek any and all Federal financial assistance that might be available to us.
Following this directive, the Maine Emergency Management Agency has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency — or FEMA — to send Federal officials to Maine as soon as possible to review and validate the damage assessments gathered by our local officials.
That review is one of the first steps we have to take on the road to requesting a Major Disaster Declaration from the President of the United States. If that Declaration is granted by President Biden, it will unlock critical Federal financial assistance to help our state recover from this storm.
Well, I’m pleased to say that, earlier this week, FEMA approved our request. So, in the coming days, Federal officials will begin reviewing and validating damage reports from local officials.
Given the extent of the damage, it is likely that this process will take some time, but Maine people can help us document the damage from this storm. If you experienced property damage, 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 the 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 still encourage you to file claims with your homeowners insurance or your auto insurance if you experienced that kind of property damage.
My Administration also has created a central online resource that contains information from the Maine Bureau of Insurance about flood and storm-related insurance claims. You can find those links on our new Maine Flood Resources and Assistance Hub at maine.gov/governor/mills/flood. That’s maine.gov/governor/mills/flood.
That website also has up-to-date information from the Maine Bureau of Insurance on flooding and storm-related insurance claims, directions on how to report storm damage to the state, and up-to-date road closures, and other information about how to safely deal with tree debris, for instance. Again, that website is maine.gov/governor/mills/flood -- all lowercase.
My Administration will continue to do all we can to support the swift recovery of Maine communities that have been hit hardest by last week’s storm. For example, hundreds of dedicated and experienced highway workers from the Department of Transportation are hard at it repairing and rebuilding State-owned roads and bridges right now, as quickly as possible.
Despite this recent wind and rain events, I hope that you are able to close out this year and celebrate the beginning of the new year with cherished friends and family. If you are missing a loved one at your table this year, please know that I am holding you in my heart this holiday season.
To all Maine people, I wish you all the very best in the new year.
This is Governor Janet Mills, thank you for the honor of serving as your governor, and thank you for listening.