KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — After a storm Saturday brought record flooding to coastal communities in Maine, state agency leaders met to discuss a timeline as they prepare to request federal cleanup assistance.
In a virtual press conference on Tuesday, representatives from the Maine Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Economic and Community Development, and the Department of Marine Resources shared the steps they're taking after several weather events hit Maine towns.
"Rolling up to this event, we knew it was big coming in. We worked with our national weather service partners, we had a conference call," MEMA Director of Mitigation, Planning, and Recovery Anne Fuchs said.
Despite leftover damage from previous storms, Fuchs says Saturday's storm is considered a separate event as to not blur lines with incoming assistance meant to cover damage from December's storm.
Governor Janet Mills recently said the cost of the damage from the Dec. 19 storm is estimated to cost close to 20 million dollars, of which she requested a major disaster declaration in a letter to President Joe Biden.
Similar assistance is expected to be requested to recover from Saturday's storm, but leaders say they need to collect damage information from each county first.
"Every county has their own respective damage threshold that's set every fiscal year by the federal register, that they effectively have to meet in terms of approved damages of public infrastructure before the state can take next steps," Fuchs explained.
With coastal communities hit hard, representatives from the Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said he's also speaking to government agencies like the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about which programs may be able to help.
"This is the new norm, we need to make sure that as we build back, we're building back higher and stronger," Keliher said.
As well, state leaders say they expect to see underlying damage creep up from the woodworks later on. Therefore, they say they hope to have the full scope of damage by Jan. 22.
"One of the challenges we see at DCD is what are the long-term ramifications of storms like this for the business community and for local communities," Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson added.
In the meantime, residents and business owners are encouraged to take notes, photos and keep receipts related to any sustained damage and to report them with the Maine Flood Resources and Assistance Hub.