AUGUSTA — State and federal officials say more than $1 million in federal assistance has been delivered to Maine to help cover costs of the January 26-28, 2015 severe winter storm and snow storm that buried parts of the state under two to three feet of snow.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Maine has received $1,269,980 in FEMA aid thus far to pay for emergency protective measures during and after the blizzard and for snow removal.
“The January storm was a three-day event that drained the coffers of many affected communities,” said State Coordinating Officer Bruce Fitzgerald with Maine’s Emergency Management Agency. “The federal dollars are assisting local governments by replenishing city budgets in time for what could be another record winter.”
Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo, the head of FEMA’s recovery operations in Maine, said, “We will continue to support our state and local partners to ensure that applicants receive all of the assistance for which they are eligible.”
Maine’s Governor Paul LePage requested preliminary damage assessments in three Maine counties immediately after the storm and sent the assessments to FEMA with a request for a federal disaster declaration. President Barack Obama approved the request in early March.
Sagadahoc County was later added when FEMA determined that county’s snow removal costs qualified for federal assistance.
FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides state and local governments and eligible private non-profit organizations in designated counties federal funds to pay 75 percent of the approved cost for assistance categories such as debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster, and for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities such as roads, buildings and utilities.
Both FEMA and the state, which distributes the FEMA funds to municipalities and qualified non-profits, must review Public Assistance projects to ensure compliance with regulations.
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