Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced Friday that the Biden Administration had approved Maine’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration in response to the Nor’easter that swept through the state in April.
According to the governor’s office, the public infrastructure repair costs associated with the storm are expected to exceed $3.5 million.
This declaration unlocks two sources of funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): the Public Assistance (PA) Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
FEMA’s PA Program is designed to provide “supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.”
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is intended to make grants available to eligible entities so that they “can develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in a way that reduces, or mitigates, future disaster losses in their communities.”
[RELATED: Janet Mills Asks Biden Administration to Issue Major Disaster Declaration for April Nor’easter]
Funding through the PA Program will be available for York and Cumberland Counties, while the entire state will be eligible to receive funds through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
“I thank President Biden for quickly approving Maine’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Cumberland and York Counties,” said Mills.
“This funding will help Southern Maine continue to recover from the devastating April Nor’easter,” Mills wrote. “My Administration will continue our work to help Maine communities bounce back from recent storms and become more resilient to future severe weather.”
Click Here to Read Gov. Mills’ Full Press Release
Earlier this month, Mills signed an Executive Order establishing a commission tasked with developing a plan for “long-term infrastructure resilience” in the state.
The severe winter storms that swept through the state this past December and January were cited as critical context for the commission’s formation.
According to the executive order, the ongoing effects of climate change will necessitate a continued investment in “recovery and rebuilding resources” because “extreme storms, inland and coastal flooding, and other natural hazards are projected to increase in frequency and severity as the climate warms.”
The purpose of the Governor’s Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission is described as to “advance and support the State’s approach to response, recovery, and rebuilding related to the disasters of the preceding eighteen months,” and to “provide analysis, lessons and strategies from this recovery period.”
The commission is also tasked with producing a report with recommendations for ensuring that Maine is maximizing all available funding resources and exploring public-private partnerships opportunities.
This commission must publish an interim report by November 15, 2024 and a final report by May 15, 2025.
So a state with a $10 billion budget and recent surpluses in the hundreds of millions range needs to ask Mommy and Daddy Washington to help them with $5 million or so in repairs?
Are you telling me they couldn’t find that much under the couch cushions in the State House?