Gov. Janet Mills declared a civil state of emergency for most of the state after Monday’s storm which left hundreds of thousands of people without power.
Gov. Mills said Tuesday that the storm also caused significant flooding and infrastructure damage, including to the state’s federal-aid highways.
The declaration positions the state to request federal disaster support in the weeks ahead. Gov. Mills declared the emergency for 14 of the state’s 16 counties and said she might add York and Cumberland counties to the list if necessary.
“Flooding continues to be a serious risk in many areas of the state. I cannot stress this enough: if you live in an area that is hard hit, please stay off the roads as much as possible and stay away from flooded areas, including flooded roadways. Doing so will protect your safety and will allow first responders and restoration crews to assess the damage and move forward with their clean up and restoration efforts more quickly. We are looking at a multi-day recovery effort right now, and Maine people can do their part by exercising vigilance and caution,” Mills said.
