HALLOWELL, Maine — On Tuesday, the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission released its interim report, outlining both immediate and long-term actions to protect Maine from future weather events.
"This commission’s work is urgent and important," Dan Tishman, the commission's co-chair said.
Among a list of recommendations, the report suggests strengthening critical infrastructure, streamlining permitting processes for post-disaster rebuilding, and training additional construction workers to support recovery efforts.
"The interim report will help Governor Mills, the Legislature, and the state take critical first steps," Tishman said.
The report comes nearly a year after winter storms devastated Maine businesses and homes, causing an estimated $90 million in damages.
Rich Friscia, owner of 140 Water St. in Hallowell was impacted by one of the storms. In December, his building flooded from the Kennebec River.
"The basement was totally underwater. The second floor was three feet underwater," Friscia said.
With financial support from a state grant, Friscia undertook significant repairs to reopen the shops inside the building and fortify it against future storms.
"The building’s going to be attached to the foundation and the flooring so it can’t float again," Friscia explained.
His experience isn’t unique. Across Maine, business owners and residents are feeling the effects of increasingly severe weather. In response, Gov. Janet Mills established the commission to address the challenges posed by extreme storms.
In the coming months, the commission’s work will continue. It plans to release Maine’s first long-term infrastructure resilience plan in the spring. This plan is expected to provide a full strategy for protecting the state’s infrastructure against the harsher storms anticipated in the coming years.