Surging waves and sea swells over the weekend kept local and county emergency systems on alert even though Hurricane Bill passed by New England without making landfall.
“We had no major damages to report, and we didn’t get any reports on boats,” said Kim Kaiser, Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency deputy director.
Hurricane Bill did however bring a lot of rain, starting Sunday night.
“We had some real minor flooding, but the rain dissipated overnight,” Kaiser said.
Hurricane Bill’s projected path was far enough from the Maine coast to have a minimal impact on coastal areas, but Lincoln County’s Emergency Management Agency was monitoring it closely, along with local EMA personnel. The county EMA office warned the coastal areas about the higher than normal high tides and sea swells.
“We alerted all local EMA directors,” Kaiser said.
Edgecomb EMA director Larry Omland, was at Pemaquid Point on Saturday during the highest tides and took photographs of the waves crashing against the rocks.
People had been warned not to get too close to areas where the waves might be more powerful and pose a danger to citizens. Other than that, though, Lincoln County beaches stayed open but with necessary precautions, according to Kaiser.
Kaiser said Friday afternoon the county agency consulted with MEMA (Maine Emergency Management Agency) on updated information and preparations the general public should take.
Because the projected storm track was so far from the shore, authorities expected some rain and only light winds and some possible beach erosion.
“People should make sure they’re ready with water in storage,” Kaiser said. “Also, people should beware of the points on Sunday because of high tides.”
In general, Kaiser advised citizens to use good common sense and be very careful. She said it would be a good idea to have emergency kits on hand with flashlights, batteries, and all.
Over the weekend, the county EMA was prepared with emergency teams, including CART (County Animal Rescue Team) to take care of animals in need of shelter and other measures such as emergency shelters for residents.