Aroostook eligible for state funds to deal with December flooding

By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
    CARIBOU – Though Aroostook was one of four counties in Maine designated to receive state assistance as a result of a December storm, county and state officials aren’t sure yet how the money will be distributed.
    Last Wednesday – the day of Gov. Paul LePage’s inauguration – former Gov. John E. Baldacci transferred $100,000 from the State Emergency Contingent Account to help Aroostook, Washington, Penobscot and Piscataquis counties recover from a severe storm that began Dec. 12.
    “Washington and Aroostook counties were extremely hard hit by this storm, and they need assistance to recover,” Baldacci said in a press release. “Based on early damage assessments, we had hoped that the counties would qualify for federal disaster aid. That is unlikely to happen. These resources will help these communities to make repairs.”
    To qualify for a Presidential Disaster Declaration, the state must be able to document statewide damage of at least $1.65 million. In addition, each individual county must meet its own threshold for damage to receive aid. After Preliminary Damage Assessments conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Maine did not qualify for assistance.
    “While we may not have met the federal threshold, the damage is extensive, particularly in Washington County. Maine can’t turn its back on the communities that are suffering,” Baldacci said.
Contributed Photo
WASHED OUT — The Ingraham Road in Littleton was among the many areas damaged by the December flooding. A 40-foot wide by 20-foot deep sinkhole has the road closed until  spring when repairs can be made. According to Littleton town officials, the estimate to repair this road alone was $36,500. Several Aroostook County communities may receiving state funds to assist with repairs.
    According to Darren Woods, deputy director of the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency, 16 communities in central and southern Aroostook, as well as the Maine Department of Transportation, filed damage reports related to the storm.
    Woods said individual homeowners and businesses do not qualify for state assistance.
    “All of the claims filed were related to rain or flood-related issues,” he said. “When you add all the damage reports together, the estimated total in damages was $268,371. It was pretty extensive.”
    In Littleton, a portion of the Ingraham Road washed away, creating a 40-foot wide by 20-foot deep hole in the road, according to Town Manager Courtney Toby. A repair crew will not be able to fix the road until the spring, she said. The damage to that road was estimated at $36,500.
    The Shaw and Foster roads were also damaged in Littleton, she said, while numerous homes reported water damage.
    Woods said he doesn’t know how the money is going to be divided up yet.
    “We don’t even know how much of the $100,000 is going to come to Aroostook. The last information I got from Augusta is that it hasn’t been laid out yet how they were going to distribute the funds,” he said. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how we distribute the money, not everybody’s going to get everything they need.”
    The 16 communities include Amity, Blaine, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Houlton, Island Falls, Linneus, Littleton, Mars Hill, Presque Isle, Van Buren, Wade, Westfield, Weston, Woodland and the county unorganized territories.
    The $100,000 transfer is being made from the State Contingent Account. The authority for the transfer comes from Title 5, subsection 1507, paragraphs 4 and 7, which allow the governor to make the transfer to address an emergency.
    After the transfer, the State Contingent Account will have a balance of $200,000 that can be used to address future emergencies.
    “The timing of this so close to the transition to the next administration is unfortunate, but we just learned that we would not qualify for federal assistance on Tuesday, Jan. 4,” said Baldacci. “I believe the affected communities need to know what they can expect.”