MAINE TO RECEIVE FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE

  U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins announced tonight that the President has agreed to their request to issue a disaster declaration for three counties in Maine.  Last week, the Senators sent a letter to the President urging him to support Maine Governor Paul LePage’s request for federal disaster assistance for Oxford, Franklin, and York counties to help the state and local communities recover from the damage inflicted by Tropical Storm Irene in August.      The counties of Franklin, Oxford, and York were designated to receive assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.  Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the State and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.  All counties in the state are eligible to receive Hazard Mitigation funding.   "We are pleased that the President understood the severity of the damage to our State,” said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement.  “Up to seven inches of rain caused significant damage to critical infrastructure in the state.  Local businesses, roads, and bridges were severely damaged as a result of heavy rain, damaging winds and flooding that occurred throughout our state.  Tragically, two deaths have been attributed to Irene.  Federal disaster assistance will help in the recovery process.  We are grateful for the President’s timely consideration."   The full text of the letter the Senators sent to the President last week is attached.   September 9, 2011   The President The White House Washington, DC 20500   Dear Mr. President:               We are writing to express support for a request that Maine Governor Paul LePage submitted for federal disaster assistance on behalf of Franklin, Oxford and York Counties in the State of Maine as a result of Tropical Storm Irene.  As a result of this storm, the state experienced significant damage due to high winds, heavy rainfall and flooding from August 27th through 29th 2011.  Tragically, two deaths have been attributed to this event.    Particularly hard hit were Franklin, Oxford and York Counties.  These counties experienced significant costs for debris removal, emergency protective measures as well as infrastructure damage in all FEMA Public Assistance Categories. More than 200,000 customers lost power during the storm, and full restoration did not occur for many for almost a week. Rainfall totals across the state ranged from 1 to 7 inches, and the Maine Department of Transportation reported more than 200 closed or restricted roads as well as significant damage to culverts, bridges and other critical infrastructure. Two regionally significant bridges were destroyed causing residents and travelers to take a major detour to reach one of Maine’s most visited regions during winter months. Widespread debris from fallen trees created the need for costly debris removal operations for the state and local jurisdictions.  At least 15 shelters were opened with another 17 held on standby. State and local resources were strained by preparation, response and recovery efforts, and already strained municipal budgets have limited capacity to respond to weather events of this scale.                   On August 31, 2011, the Governor requested a joint federal, State, and local Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) survey of the damaged areas.  The damage assessment teams verified more than $2.4 million in damages resulting from the storm which equates to $1.83 per capita statewide.  The counties of Franklin, County and York each experienced a per capita cost ranging from $3.69 to $30.32.  The Governor has determined that this event is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments, and has requested Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation and Small Business Administration assistance.    We urge you to expeditiously consider and approve the Governor’s request.   ###