State officials are urging owners of property on Maine’s working waterfront to report their share of what the Department of Marine Resources called “unprecedented” property damage from this week’s storm.
That can include wharfs, floats, vessels, among other things, the department said.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency has created an online form that property owners can fill out instead of calling their local municipal office.
In an online bulletin, DMR said the form is not an application for financial assistance but will help the state understand the extent of the damage from the Jan. 10 storm.
Those with damage to their primary residence should report the damage to 211 Maine or fill out the form for individuals and households.
“Also, please note that we have a similar storm coming this weekend with an even higher tide, so it’s clear that additional preparations will be needed,” the DMR bulletin read.
DMR, with help from the Maine Forest Service, planned to conduct an aerial survey along the coast Thursday to document the damage. The department is working with Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine Emergency Management Agency to assess the extent of the damage to Maine’s coastline.
Gov. Mills on Thursday declared a civil state of emergency for eight Maine counties: Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington and York, which, “strengthens Maine’s ability to seek federal financial assistance,” the office of the governor said Thursday.
If the reported damage exceeds a statutory threshold of the state’s ability to respond, Mills will seek another federal disaster declaration on top of the one the state is preparing to submit to the federal government for the Dec. 18, 2023 storm.