State officials plan to seek a federal emergency declaration for northern Maine as communities struggle to cope with a record-setting winter that shows few signs of letting up.

Vernon Ouellette, director of the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency, said Tuesday that communities are in severe financial straits due to the seemingly nonstop storms that have dumped more than 15 feet of snow on parts of northern Maine.

Even though wintry weather is far from over in The County, the bigger threat would come if the enormous snowpack blanketing northern Maine were to quickly begin melting, he said.

“If this starts melting, we’re in big trouble,” Ouellette said. “In past years, we’ve had half this amount of snow and had problems.”

On Tuesday, Ouellette and his deputy director, Darren Woods, updated Gov. John Baldacci on the situation during a brief visit by the governor to Caribou. The two men are working with the Maine Emergency Management Agency and the Baldacci administration on a request for additional federal help.

Dan Cashman, spokesman for Baldacci, said the state may send a formal emergency declaration request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as early as Friday or the beginning of next week. The declaration, which would be for the entire winter rather than a specific storm, would funnel additional federal emergency funds into Maine to help the state, county and localities cover costs.

State officials “have had preliminary discussions with FEMA,” Cashman said. “Those are going well and everyone is very supportive.”

Ouellette and Woods, both Aroostook County natives, said local residents are accustomed to heavy snow. But the 2007-08 winter is the worst either man has ever witnessed.

Towns have blown through their snow removal budgets with several weeks left in the snow season. The Maine Department of Transportation reports that 40 roads are so clogged with snowbanks that they are down to a single lane.

Buildings have collapsed in Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Garfield and other communities. And last weekend’s storm, which dumped 10 to 18 inches on parts of The County, took a huge bite out of local businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

The Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle estimates it lost $1 million in business because of the snow and blizzard conditions. Other retail outlets estimate losses of 20 percent to 30 percent.

The most recent storm pushed Caribou above its previous snowfall record of 181.1 inches. The storm was followed by a record-shattering cold spell that sent temperatures plunging to 14 degrees below zero in Caribou for two consecutive days.

Some areas of The County were even colder.

Ouellette said he and Woods are urging County residents to prepare for a massive spring melt that could cause ice jams and severe flooding of the St. John and Aroostook rivers and other waterways.

“Make sure your pumps work and generators work,” Ouellette said. “And make sure you have a communications plan in place if you lose power.”

They will meet with local officials in the next few weeks to make sure emergency plans are in place.

kmiller@bangordailynews.net

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