WELLS, Maine — Maine's coastal communities are beginning to get a better idea of the damage left behind by two major storms that hit just days apart.
Wells is one of the many towns where dozens of homes all along the coast sustained severe damage. Nine of those are condemned, according to Wells fire chief Paul Dupuis, because he's afraid they might fall any moment.
Dupuis said Webhannet Drive is one of the major areas in town that suffered some of the worst damage. The entire road was closed Monday so that public works and other professional officials could clear the debris left behind.
Dupuis said one of the things officials have decided to do is put large dumpster boxes in three locations along the affected Wells coast for people to have an easy way to get rid of the debris that was left on their properties.
"The immediate concerns for us are to start clearing the roads. That is already underway as of yesterday, but they are continuing to do that until everything is completely clear of all of the debris," he explained. "They are also looking to try to repair damaged roads. We are also bringing in dumpsters and putting them strategically along those beach areas for homeowners to throw out all of that broken equipment."
Megan Arsenault is the deputy director for the York County Emergency Management Agency. She joined NEWS CENTER Maine's Hannah Yechivi Monday morning to talk about resources available to Mainers affected by the storms.
"What we are doing is helping get resources here to the field," Arsenault explained. "We are assisting with damage assessment, and we are helping get into formal damage assessment to help the towns recoup some money from all the damages they incurred."
She said she highly encourages people to follow road signs. She also encourages homeowners with insurance to file a claim as soon as possible.
"For folks that do not have insurance, we are encouraging them to visit the Maine Emergency Management Agency website, where individual assistance may become available if certain thresholds are met," Arsenault added.
If you need to report damage, there's a form you can fill out on the Maine Emergency Management Agency's website.
Dupuis said he doesn't recommend people who are not professionals volunteer their time by picking up the pieces on town or beach property, as a lot of the surface is dangerous and town officials in Wells are hiring professional hands to assist its public works team with the work.
"We really want people to stay away from this area," Dupuis reiterated. "There is too much work going on, and it's too big of a job for volunteers to come out and help. The professionals are going to be here with heavy equipment."