AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) requested Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) begin a Preliminary Damage Assessment of the damage this week's storm caused to Maine communities.
This preliminary assessment is the first formal step toward requesting a Major Disaster Declaration from the federal government, a news release from Gov. Mills' office said.
Now that water levels from flooding are beginning to recede, and the damage done becomes more evident, MEMA has started to work with local partners in estimating the cost of damages caused by Monday's storm, according to the release.
The Monday storm, which USGS data suggests may have been the second worst flooding in Maine history, left hundreds of thousands of people without power in addition to causing significant flooding and damage to infrastructure.
Gov. Janet Mills directed MEMA Friday to request that FEMA "dispatch Federal officials to Maine as soon as possible to begin the process of conducting the Federal Preliminary Damage Assessment, in which FEMA reviews and validates damage assessments gathered by local officials," the release stated.
MEMA expects that FEMA will agree that the costs associated with the storm are "beyond the capabilities of the State to address," and that "the Governor will formally request a Major Disaster Declaration from the President," the release added.
Mainers who were impacted by the storm can help by reporting their property damage by calling 211.
"Information provided will help the State of Maine estimate the full impact of the storm and request the maximum amount of Federal aid available," the release said.
"Anyone who experienced property damage from this week’s severe wind, rain, and flooding should report it by dialing 2-1-1. Sharing your information will help the State of Maine request the maximum amount of Federal disaster funds available to help Maine people and communities recover and rebuild," Gov. Mills said in the news release Friday. "My Administration will use this information and other estimates collected by MEMA to request a Major Disaster Declaration from President Biden as soon as possible, which, if granted will help unlock important Federal funding to support our recovery."
"MEMA continues to work around the clock to keep Maine people safe and to work with our partners to assess the severity of damage left in the storm’s wake," MEMA Director Pete Rogers said in the release. "I ask the public to help us in our response efforts by reporting storm and flood damage by calling 211."
For more information about MEMA and the efforts it's doing in response to this week's storm, click here.
