Maine Delegation Urges President Biden to Approve Governor Mills’ Request for Major Disaster Declaration Following January Storms
Washington, D.C. — Maine’s Congressional Delegation wrote to President Joe Biden in support of Governor Janet Mills’ request for a Major Disaster Declaration to help address the estimated $70.3 million in damage that occurred across eight Maine counties during the January 10 and January 13 storms. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden asked the President to fully grant the Governor’s request to make federal assistance available for Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York counties.
“The back-to-back coastal storms that entered Maine on January 10 and January 13, 2024, brought wind gusts of more than 60 to 80 miles per hour and heavy rainfall. The storms caused widespread historic coastal flooding, and historic damages to public and private infrastructure across the State’s coastline and islands. Because these were the second and third severe storms in less than a month, we anticipate a lengthy recovery effort,” the Delegation wrote.
“We urge you to expeditiously approve Governor Mills’ request for Major Disaster Declarations for the counties in question. Handling this expeditiously is especially warranted as many of these areas have been affected by other disasters, some natural, some economic, all of which have made this a particularly difficult year for the region. The people of Maine are in great need of this federal assistance, and we thank you for your support,” continued the Delegation.
Previously, the Delegation wrote a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) backing Governor Mills’ request that the January 10 and 13 storms be treated as a single disaster event to streamline federal response. The Maine Delegation also wrote a letter to the President in support of Governor Mills’ request for a Major Disaster Declaration for the December storm damage.
Read the full letter here or below.
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