Meeting with the Lincoln County Commissioners Sept. 6, the county’s Emergency Management Agency Director Tim Pellerin said the total cost of the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene Aug. 28-29 did not meet the threshold for state and federal aid.
According to Pellerin, Irene caused no injuries, but left 23,000 people without power and temporarily closed 31 roads.
“We’re lucky it swung to the west of us,” he said, citing the devastation caused by the storm in Vermont.
Assistant to the EMA Director Tod Hartung reported that the 9-1-1 Communications Center received 2400 calls for assistance since they last reported, a figure that is usually between 1500 and 1800. The 24-hour call volume during Tropical Storm Irene was 223, up 94 percent from the typical 115.
“Not one call was missed, not one call dropped,” Hartung said.
According to Pellerin, all but a few of the county’s residents had power by Sept. 2, the Friday after the storm.
Pellerin said the total damages were slightly less than the $103,000 threshold needed to be eligible for Maine and Federal Emergency Management Agency funds. Though the county was some $6000 under the threshold, the total damage caused in Maine was well over the amount needed to receive FEMA funding.
Pellerin said that Irene was unique, as the brunt of the storm struck inland rather than along the coast. He said the most damage occurred around the Somerville, Jefferson, and Whitefield area. At one point Somerville had entirely lost power and all road access into town.
One and a half to three inches of rain were reported alongside 50 mph gusts. Pellerin said the Lincoln County EMA was prepared for a Category 2 hurricane.
The Lincoln County Commissioners praised the EMA for its diligence during the storm.
Commissioner Lynn Gilley Orne commended the EMA for its use of voice conferencing to update the county’s emergency services about the status of the storm. She said she received calls from firefighters saying that the improved communications allowed them to know exactly what was happening.
“If it were not for you guys we would not have known what was going on in the storm,” Orne said.
She added that the four Kennebec towns receiving EMS support from LC Communications, Pittston, Farmingdale, Randolph, and West Gardiner, highly praised the actions of Lincoln County’s EMA.
Orne informed Pellerin that the Kennebec towns “felt adopted” by Lincoln County and were “certainly grateful” for their help.
