AUGUSTA, Maine — Repairs to the Kennebec County Courthouse could take up to six months after the building suffered extreme flood and infrastructure damage during thunderstorms Tuesday night.
Maeghan Maloney, district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties, said the storms caused the building's chimney to collapse, and she was the only one in the building to witness it all.
"I was the only one working late in my office," Maloney said.
Late nights are normal for Maloney, but Tuesday's late night filled with thunderstorms started with one interruption after the other.
"I heard a huge boom," she said.
Maloney explained the boom wasn't the sound of thunder but instead the sound of Mother Nature's rage.
"I thought initially it was a result of the storm ... which it was. But it wasn't thunder or something natural," Maloney said. "It was the chimney being destroyed, which then put a hole in the roof."
When the chimney collapsed, a 2-inch water sprinkler pipe was also punctured, facility director Dan Brunelle said.
Suddenly, the showers outside were pouring in, and all the sprinklers in the building spewed out water, Maloney said.
"The ceiling that I was standing under ... it felt like it just started raining inside," she said.
Maloney documented the damage of the building as much as she could, with pictures and videos, before she left in a hurry for fear of the ceiling caving in.
"Maeghan sent me a text and said, 'There's a leak,' and then she sent me a video," department head and office administrator Shay Freeman said. "And I was like, 'That is more than a leak. That is a waterfall in our building.'"
The water from the sprinklers damage carpet, interior paint, desks, printers, and even other office equipment. Constriction workers are in the process of ripping up wet carpet throughout the building. Fans are still drying floors that were flooded with water.
Some dry wall is also being torn away to allow the walls to dry, and Brunelle said it will be replaced. He explained they don't anticipate having to gut the entire building.
Aside from the extensive damage, the stench of mildewing water lingers all throughout the building.
"When you walk inside, the problem that we're having today is that the smell is overwhelming, and some people are complaining that they're getting headaches," Maloney said.
No matter what stands in the way, Brunelle and contract workers are making repairs, and attorneys are still handling cases
"We have to be up and ready," Maloney said. "Crime doesn't stop because we have a flooded office. We still have to be able to do everything."
Maloney said attorneys can access everything they need to handle cases without being in office, and they're allowing everyone to work remotely to avoid illness from the overwhelming smell.