A commission set up to examine how to strengthen Maine’s infrastructure following severe back-to-back storms this winter has released its interim recommendations.
Maine should immediately move to help local leaders share dependable communication with residents during a disaster and coordinate better information sharing with state and local leaders, according to the Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission.
It should also speed up permitting for post-disaster rebuilding and help connect non-profit and philanthropic financial help to address immediate needs after a storm.
But the interim report also lays out ways to mitigate future damage, such as centralizing information about at-risk areas and helping identify vulnerable community infrastructure.
It also suggests positioning the state to maximize federal funding for post-disaster rebuilding and ways to strengthen communities in the face of intense storms made worse by climate change.
Commission Co-Chair Linda Nelson, the economic and community development director in the town of Stonington, said thinking long-term can help save considerable money on recovery in the future.
“So bold steps now and into the future are essential to limiting unsustainable and preventable spending on repeated rebuilding from these events, Maine cannot afford the costs of inaction,” Nelson said.
In recent decades, Maine has had one disaster or emergency declaration a year on average, according to the commission. Since March 2022, however, the state has seen eight disaster declarations and one emergency declaration.
Three powerful storms in late 2023 and early this year slammed through western and coastal Maine, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. That prompted the state government to offer $60 million in disaster recovery to businesses, organizations and local governments.
A climate quickly warming because of too much fossil fuel air pollution is contributing to more intense and damaging storms.
Nelson said during tours of the state to learn about recovery efforts, one message “has become really resoundingly clear.”
“If it wasn’t already part of our personal experiences, climate change is harming the daily lives and the future prospects of Maine people,” Nelson said.
The commission is tasked with submitting a more thorough report and recommendations in May. A $69 million federal resilience grant will help jump-start projects.
That includes a resilience arm within the new Maine Office of Community Affairs established to act as a “one-stop shop” within state government to help towns, cities and tribes access planning, technical assistance and financial resources.
In a statement, Governor Janet Mills said she looked forward to reviewing the commission’s recommendations and working with the Legislature to consider how the state can better prepare and respond to storms.
“Storms know no politics. They don’t care if you are a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. They will flood our homes and businesses, washout our roads and bridges, and threaten the health and safety of our people,” Mills said.
Maine Public’s Climate Desk is made possible by Androscoggin bank, with additional support from Evergreen Home Performance, Bigelow Laboratory, & Lee Auto Malls.