Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director reported Monday to county commissioners $25,000 in public damage during last week’s ice storm, not enough for state of emergency funding.
EMA director Tim Pellerin told the board at its regular meeting, to qualify for such funding damages would have to amount to at least $100,000 but he awaits news about the state’s being declared a state of emergency because of the storm.
As of Tuesday, Central Maine Power reported about 18,000 customers still without power, and the county EMA reported only one road, Anderson Road in East Boothbay, where all customers were still affected.
At the height of the storm, customers along 591 roads throughout the county experienced power outages, according to the EMA report.
While on Tuesday, only 10 people in the county still had outages, 12,800 citizens reported outages Saturday morning.
Pellerin said the storm came as a surprise to him and others because weather reports anticipated mostly rain on the coast and warned about ice much further inland.
“We had a bunch of volunteers helping,” he said. “Stories of neighbors helping neighbors were numerous.”
All told, an estimated 700 volunteers assisted communities in the county throughout the critical period, including the American Red Cross, all first responders, county staff, communications, and various citizens and businesses.
Pellerin reported major infrastructure, such as hospitals, water facilities, and Two Bridges Regional Jail maintained operations throughout the storm with the EMA’s assistant.
A major concern he had was loss of power at Great Salt Bay Sanitary District and the need for a generator at reduced power, since it would affect Miles Memorial Hospital’s water supply.
The EMA had designated warming shelters in the county, mostly at firehouses, in preparation for such emergencies. About 450 residents availed themselves of the help from two overnight shelters and seven warming shelters, and several animals received shelter as well, Pellerin said.
First responders, law enforcement and local EMA directors conducted checks on people’s well-being throughout the county. All local EMA directors coordinated efforts with their respective fire departments, emergency medical services, town officials, and police, to canvas their communities.
The Great Salt Bay School staff welcomed Hillary Roberts from the American Red Cross and her DAT Team to run a shelter Friday through Sunday morning serving 200 people with food, water, shelter, animal sheltering, and showers.
Wiscasset fire, EMS, and EMA started a warming site at the local fire station assisting 150 citizens with food, water, animal sheltering, and showers, and the Community Center was in use as well for that purpose.
Boothbay Fire Dept. opened its doors to the community on Friday morning for combination of warming, animal refuge, and overnight accommodations through Sunday night helping 75 people with showers, shelter, and food.
Bremen Fire Dept. assisted citizens with food, water, warmth, and shelter Friday night through Sunday night helping 50 people. As a result of the experience, the department has decided to install a shower stall at the firehouse to meet such needs under emergency circumstances in the future.
The county EMA activated the county animal response team Friday morning and remained on duty through Monday morning. Betsy Pratt and her staff welcomed three animals into the county animal shelter and had plans for expansion into the Boothbay Animal Hospital if needed.
During the crisis, fire stations were open to the public for water, warmth, and possibly a quick shower. There were many stories of first responders starting generators, stoking a wood stove, and performing quick instructions on how to avoid any unnecessary injuries during the storm, according to Pellerin’s report.
Pellerin said people need to be cautious about the placement of generators outside so that the exhaust points away from the house to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
Many businesses donated food, such as Shaw’s in Wiscasset, which donated lunch to the Wiscasset Community Center on Saturday and Sunday. Sarah’s Café donated salads for the Sunday night meal. Wiscasset school department donated food, and middle school cook Cindy Rines prepared meals for the weekend.