AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills defended her administration’s response to the Monday wind storm that took many Mainers by surprise and knocked out power to half the state, noting that it was far more severe than it was forecasted to be.
The Democratic governor was questioned by reporters on Wednesday as Maine was assessing the heavy damage from the storm that caused severe flooding along inland rivers. Two people died while clearing debris, while one person died and another person is missing after their vehicle was swept from a bridge into a western Maine river on Tuesday.
Elements of the state’s response to this storm lagged those ahead of weaker storms to hit the state lately. The Maine Emergency Management Agency issued no news release ahead of the storm, and Mills herself issued few public statements on it until declaring a state of emergency on Tuesday afternoon.
“We were prepared in the same respect as we prepare for all emergencies,” the governor said at Wednesday’s news conference.
Mills and Peter Rogers, the director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, said the state’s began looking at this storm a week ahead of time under their normal protocols. There was a conference call on Sunday with partnering agencies including the National Weather Service, then the state’s emergency operations center opened at 6 a.m. Monday.
Forecasts ahead of the storm called for winds between 45 and 55 mph and up to 4 inches of rain in some places. But gusts went over 80 mph across the state and some places got upward of 6 inches of rain. Flood levels neared highs not seen since the historic floods of 1987, which ravaged the Androscoggin, Kennebec and other vital inland rivers.
Those rivers were also hammered by Monday’s storm. In Rumford, the Androscoggin was above severe flood stage for two hours on Tuesday, while downtown Augusta saw the Kennebec rise to just three feet below the severe flood stage. Down the river in Hallowell and Gardiner, the water reached downtown buildings.
The governor urged Mainers in affected areas to stay off the roads and away from pooled water while driving, noting utility estimates that many areas will have to wait several days for power.
“I understand how frustrating the situation can be and how tempting it may be to get off to get back on the road and try to continue life as normal,” Mills said. “Please do not tempt fate.”
