Deadline nears for disaster mitigation plans

BANGOR – With a deadline less than two months away for communities, counties and the state to complete disaster plans, some won’t make it and may become ineligible for certain federal mitigation funds until they do.

Disaster mitigation plans required by the federal government are in various states of completion across the state, from just being started to nearly finished, Steven Burgess, deputy director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, said.

Failure to meet the deadline will mean that disaster mitigation funds – not to be confused with disaster relief funds – won’t be available to communities and counties to be used to prevent or reduce the potential effects of floods, storms and other disasters. The funds can be used for a variety of projects, such as installing culverts.

With more at stake than mitigation funds for the state, Maine will complete its plan by the Nov. 1 deadline, Burgess said.

“The state’s [plan] will be done if it’s the last thing we do,” Burgess said Thursday.

With no plan in place, the state would lose access to federal reimbursements for all but the funding of immediate services during a potential disaster, Burgess said.

He said that means no funds for mitigation and permanent repairs, and that could be a lot of money considering federal funds don’t usually start to kick in until damage has reached $1.4 million or more.

The development of mitigation plans is an extensive process requiring communities and counties to assess what infrastructures, such as dams, bridges and buildings, are at risk during a disaster.

The plans also consider what could happen in a worst-case scenario, as well as how to prevent it from happening.

In Oxford County, for example, the town of Canton is considering moving its residential homes out of the flood plain in light of the heavy flooding it has seen.

Last winter, when heavy snow was followed by heavy rain, extensive flooding occurred in town as the Androscoggin River and its tributaries rose.

At the local level, different approaches have been taken, with most counties taking on the responsibility of developing a countywide plan and others leaving it to their constituent communities.

Waldo County has been working on its plan for about 18 months and, along with Knox County, has received conditional approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Burgess said.

Hancock County is seeking final approval for its plan, while Aroostook, Androscoggin and Lincoln counties are a step behind working on the final draft.

Piscataquis and Washington counties are just starting the process, Burgess said, while Penobscot County is still debating whether it should have communities do their own plan or institute a countywide plan.

Penobscot County Administrator Bill Collins said Tuesday that a year ago, Penobscot County commissioners were told a countywide plan would cost in the “six figures” range and that there was no guarantee that the county would be reimbursed for that investment.

Bangor Code Enforcement Officer Dan Wellington said that when push comes to shove, the city could make the November deadline, but officials would rather have more time to complete a plan.

He said that the city has been waiting to work with the county on the plan, but that as part of doing its regular operations, the city has reviewed potential disaster areas, regulating development on flood plains and instituting requirements for snow loads, earthquakes and high wind resistance.

Many smaller communities aren’t so fortunate. This week, Stetson Selectman Don Carroll told the commissioners that smaller communities such as his couldn’t afford to do a mitigation plan on their own as had been suggested.

“None of us feel that it’s worthwhile for the county to offer this stuff individually,” Carroll told the Penobscot County commissioners on Tuesday.

Commissioners are seeking another cost estimate and may ask for an extension.

Burgess said that ultimately it would be the federal government that will decide whether to grant an extension.