AUGUSTA, Maine —- Governor Janet Mills formally requested on Friday that President Joe Biden issue a Major Disaster Declaration to help Maine’s coastal counties recover from January’s back-to-back storms that devastated coastal communities.
In the governor’s letter to Biden, Mills said that the cost of damage from the January storms, which is estimated to have caused $70.3 million in public infrastructure damage, is beyond the ability of the state of Maine to address.
“Maine produces 90 percent of the nation’s lobster supply and is home to a thriving marine economy now at risk of decline,” Mills said “The recovery of Maine’s coastline will require the support of every federal resource available…recovery is uncertain without the Individual Assistance program.”
If Biden approves the governor’s request, Maine would gain access to federal funds the state could use to repair damaged roads and other public infrastructure.
The request applies to Washington, Hancock, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Cumberland and York Counties.
In addition to public assistance, Mills asked Biden to authorize individual assistance to eligible families impacted by property damage in those same counties.
