Appeal for County blizzard aid fails FEMA upholds denial of assistance; local officials, senators incensed

CARIBOU – A significant blizzard blew through the region on March 19-22, closing schools and stores, adding further stress to already exhausted public works crews and taking money away from local businesses on what would customarily have been a busy Easter shopping weekend.

In late March, Gov. John Baldacci asked the federal government for emergency assistance for expenses from the snowstorm in northern Maine. Baldacci noted that Aroostook County needed federal assistance to help offset the local costs of cleaning up from the blizzard that pummeled the region March 19-22 and left behind 33 inches of snow.

The request was denied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Baldacci filed an appeal of the denial earlier this month.

On Wednesday evening, the state received news that the appeal also has been denied.

This year, close to 200 inches of snow fell in Caribou, according to the National Weather Service, burying the 181-inch record dating from 1955.

The storm that hit Aroostook County on March 19-22 hurt retailers. Retail sales were down that Easter weekend, which is usually busy.

Buildings have collapsed as a result of snow levels in Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Littleton, Garfield and other communities. In Grand Isle, a train car belonging to Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway got stuck in the snow along a section of track.

School budgets and calendars also have been affected by closures.

U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe sent letters to President Bush in support of Baldacci’s appeal of the federal government’s denial of emergency assistance for expenses from the snowstorm.

Baldacci said in a written statement Wednesday evening that he was “disappointed” to hear of FEMA’s decision to deny the state’s appeal.

“Aroostook County suffered under historic snowfall which severely hampered the budgets of municipalities and area businesses,” said Baldacci. “I believe that the severe budget impacts combined with the cumulative effect of the snow on the ground should have moved FEMA to approve federal assistance.”

Aroostook County Administrator Doug Beaulieu called the decision “very discouraging” and “unacceptable.”

“I think that when you are looking at it from the vantage point of a federal bureaucrat who is looking at just numbers, such as the amount of snow we received, it might not seem like that big a deal,” he said. “But to be here and see how hard public works crews had to work and how the snowfall affected businesses really gives you a flavor of how serious the situation was.”

He added that he was even more disappointed in the decision because he felt that the record snowfall contributed to the flooding in the St. John Valley.

“I think this is unacceptable,” said Beaulieu.

Snowe also said that she was “disappointed with FEMA’s decision that the record snowfall throughout the week of March 19-22 and its disastrous effects on the infrastructure of Aroostook County did not warrant a state-of-emergency declaration and its implied federal assistance.”

“The tremendous snowfall played a significant role in the horrendous flooding that ravaged northern Maine earlier this month,” she added. “Moving forward, we must continue to assist Aroostook County in its efforts to recover and rebuild from what may have been the worst winter in more than 50 years. I am very disappointed that FEMA did not recognize the burden that this storm caused to the people of Aroostook County.”

Sen. Susan Collins agreed, issuing a statement Thursday afternoon saying that the “assistance would have gone a long way to help all of the communities in The County that were already struggling with limited budgets, even before this spring’s devastating flooding.”

“As a native of Aroostook County, I know just how long and snowy a Maine winter can be,” she continued. “But this winter’s record snowfall was truly overwhelming. By focusing narrowly on accumulation totals for the March 19-22 snowstorm, the administration fails to acknowledge the hardship caused by the worst winter snowfall season since 1955 for Aroostook County.”

Aroostook County Emergency Management officials were in meetings throughout Thursday and could not be reached for comment on the decision.

jlbdn@ainop.com

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