The National Weather Service (NWS) on Friday released a stinging rebuke of Gov. Janet Mills claim that the service failed to warn her Administration about the devastating storm that wiped out power for nearly half the state.
“The national weather service did not predict 5 or 6 inches of rain in any community in Maine,” Gov. Mills said at a press conference on Wednesday, her first public appearance after more than 36 hours of widespread power outages.
“The National Weather Service did not predict 68, 70 mile per hour winds in any area of Maine,” said Mills.
Mills’ attempt to pass blame on to the civil servants at NWS ran aground on Friday when the agency issued a statement to WGME.
According to NWS, and contrary to what Mills said, forecasters informed state and local leaders three days prior to the storm that Maine would see intense rain and flooding. Two days prior, the agency issued a flood watch and high wind watch “two full days” before the storm began.
Despite this advanced warning, Mills did not pre-emptively declare a state of emergency, as she previously did with the comparatively mild Hurricane Lee.
From NWS:
“The powerful low pressure system that hit Maine on December 18 with heavy rain and high winds was well forecasted and communicated in advance, including the potential for rainfall totals of 4-6 inches with localized areas receiving higher amounts. Forecasts and briefings provided to local and state officials began on Friday, December 15. NWS alerted for a significant weather event that would cause widespread flooding, given that the soils were already saturated from previous rain and snowmelt from the mountains would exacerbate the flood threat. The first flood watch and high wind watch were issued on Saturday afternoon, two full days before the storm. The state of Maine hosted a coordination call Sunday afternoon with NWS forecast offices in Gray and Caribou briefing on the expected flood, wind and coastal flood impacts. Rain began on Sunday night, and by Monday morning NWS offices had issued flash flood warnings areal flood warnings, and river flood warnings, which remained in effect through the middle of the week. The National Weather Service and our public safety partners in emergency management and broadcast media urged communities to prepare in advance for the hazards that were likely to occur on Monday, December 18. NWS forecasters informed local and state officials in the days leading up to the storm through daily email briefing packages, direct phone conversations, and virtual city and statewide briefings.” (emphasis added)
Mills has not commented publicly on the stinging rebuke from the NWS.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="24155 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=24155">18 Comments
Typical demoKKKrat it’s everyone else’s fault.
I’m more inclined to believe the National Weather Center of Janet Mills! She’s just trying to pass the buck, blame everyone else and make herself appear as she cares about the state! Worst Governor EVER! Thanks liberal Cumberland, York and Androscoggin Counties!
We need more windmills, solar panels, EVs and heat pumps!
Not the first time she’s lied — remember her lies about her call to the Trump White House only to be exposed as a dirty liar when Trump released the recording.
Mills is a total d-bag lying sack.
Will this “miss” by NWS be the basis by Mills for some new major “reform”.
Can we please ask WGME the only station we receive free on our antennas to actually report the real weather? All they do is yack, yack yack about Ski areas all winter, like the have a vested interest in making money for Recreational for PROFIT sports all winter. And not taking responsibility to the poor people and seafaring families who cannot afford ridiculous Cable TV prices. Weather should be FREE for EVERYONE, THE NWS needs to give us a Satellite that provides access to the North Atlantic. It went down and we never got it back. Its sickening to know there is deadly weather off shore we cannot see because the GOVERNMENT thinks we are stupid. And Channel 13 only covers for PROFIT areas and lies to keep people and business reservations. GREED and SECRECY kills people and I feel your lack of real coverage of the weather killed people in this storm. No one I know can afford to SKI. Who cares! Life is on the shoreline and in Central Maine where we get absolutely no real weather reports. I turn to the https://ocean.weather.gov/Atl_tab.php The Atlantic Marine map is hard for the layman to read. WETHA’ is damn important to real Mainers. The rich are covered….where’s the working man report. And seriously, non of the new people on WGME are from Maine. They should have had to learn the geography and topography…everyday it’s like they are learning on their feet. Didn’t any Maine people apply for theses jobs. The Old Salts who used to do the local weather are grealy missed. I got my ne weather stick, the old one blew away.
Is anyone surprised our fascist governor ignored the advice of experts not tied to the all powerful all knowing government. A week before Christmas she had already checked out from doing her job. Do I have to remind everyone she was no where to be found for three days. Thanks Janet. You will go down in history as the most inept governor we’ve ever had. If it weren’t for the free monopoly money from the idiot in chief this state would be absolutely broke. If you all recall Governor Lepage had to build back the rainy day fund. Within one year she and the democrats spent it down for their pet projects. She’s bankrupted the children of this state with her energy and spending policies. She’s bankrupted the moral character of this state with her policy allowing killing of babies under any condition policy. And that doesn’t come close what she’s done to our kids during Covid. As the husband of a school teacher I can say without question Janet has done more damage to the education and well being of our kids than any governor, democrat or republican. She’s evil to the core.
Is anyone surprised our fascist governor ignored the advice of experts not tied to the all powerful all knowing government. A week before Christmas she had already checked out from doing her job. Do I have to remind everyone she was no where to be found for three days. Thanks Janet. You will go down in history as the most inept governor we’ve ever had. If it weren’t for the free monopoly money from the idiot in chief this state would be absolutely broke. If you all recall Governor Lepage had to build back the rainy day fund. Within one year she and the democrats spent it down for their pet projects. She’s bankrupted the children of this state with her energy and spending policies. She’s bankrupted the moral character of this state with her policy allowing killing of babies under any condition policy. And that doesn’t come close what she’s done to our kids during Covid. As the husband of a school teacher I can say I without question Janet has done more damage to the education and well being of our kids than any governor, democrat or republican.
Are Mike and Beau the same person? Or just AI bots?
janet trust fund mills lies about everything.
Example: 1. She lied about her phone call with President Trump. 2. She lied about her unfettered abortion position. Unfettered means ball peen hammer to the head.
Of course, with powerful jewish partners like the rockefeller foundation and now soros controlled news media she can do no wrong,
Can you imagine owning a E V in rural Maine with no power to charge it for days. Extreme weather is no stranger to Maine, E V snowplows, E V school busses are a disaster on the horizon. Their range is dramatically reduced in freezing weather I can’t imagine what this Dumo-Rat is thinking. The company that made the first E V busses that Maine grossly overpaid for is now bankrupt. Good luck in finding anyone capable of repairing them. Go green lol.
I saw it in the paper and our Gov. did not nor did her crack STAFF. Truly the Blind are leading our State They have the power but lack the brains —True Democrates.
@sandy, in Maine it’s called all white girl diversity. In the biden regime it’s called all girl diversity.
Take notice. Run the boys out and everything we built stops working… because we aren’t there to maintain the equipment for you.
Surprise, surprise, the Governor of the State of Maine is a liar.
She got caught. By a bigger guy and the evidence is irrefutable.
Surprise, surprise.
In her post storm photo ops was she wearing one of Joe Biden’s leather jackets?
Yes, it was announced by Ryan Hall Y’all on YouTube…. he’s really great at getting a fair share of the predictions right…many times , up to 3 or 4 days ahead of anyone else.. I had informed my husband of Ryan’s forecast, so we had an inkling of what was to come. High wind and high river … be on the watch, even if it is strange for Up north Maine in December.
This is why you shouldn’t do drugs at work kids.
Do don’t suppose she’s doing shrooms?
Proving again her only agenda is to lie or whatever she can do to get her way. Spoiled Liberal Bitch.