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Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer
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Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer
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Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer
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Gregory Rec/Staff PhotographerDAMAGES AND DISASTER RELIEF
A state of emergency was declared in Aroostook County on Tuesday evening. As part of the declaration, county officials were given the authority to order evacuations to protect public safety and public property. When the floodwaters fully recede, federal, state and local officials will begin assessing the impact of the flooding and arrive at an estimate of the cost of damages.
If the damages exceed thresholds set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the governor would ask President Bush to declare a major disaster.
The request could seek two types of assistance -- for individuals or for public property, such as highways and buildings. The damage threshold for public property in Aroostook County is about $230,000. A disaster declaration could include other counties in Maine, which are also experiencing flood damages.
The president acts on a major-disaster request after receiving a recommendation from FEMA. If the request is granted, the county qualifies for funding from the President's Disaster Relief Fund.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency will announce procedures for filing information about damages, including phone numbers, Internet addresses and other points of contact with disaster relief agencies.
For more information on emergency agencies and programs, go to www.fema.gov or www.maine.gov/mema.
FORT KENT — The St. John River receded from historic flood levels Thursday as residents and emergency management officials continued to struggle with a record surge of water that swamped homes, businesses, roads and bridges across Maine's northernmost county.
"We still got a ways to go before we're clear," said Vern Ouellette, director of the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency. "We've got bridges out everywhere around the whole county."
About a dozen roads and bridges, including international bridges in Fort Kent, Van Buren and Hamlin, were closed because of possible structural damage from the rushing water and debris.
In Fort Kent, the overflowing river flooded more than 100 homes and businesses, and crept up to the base of the pews in the St. Louis Catholic Church. About 600 of the town's 4,200 residents remained out of their homes Thursday.
It was too early to estimate the extent of damage from the flood, the worst in memory for the small communities of the St. John River Valley.
"It's hard to know until the water goes down," said Lynette Miller, a spokeswoman for the Maine Emergency Management Agency.
She said the Fort Kent flooding is the type of disaster that, on average, happens once every 100 years.
Residents have had their lives turned upside down, with much of downtown Fort Kent evacuated and flooded roads cutting off travel.
"You can't sleep," said Catherine Jandreau. "It's a mess down here."
Jandreau cuts hair at A Little Lift Salon and was relieved Thursday to find only the basement flooded. She was praying for no more rain, and moderate temperatures to avoid the quick melting of ice and snow that still remain upriver.
On the south side of Main Street, five cars remained nearly under water in the parking lots of apartment buildings.
"We tried to get them to move their cars, and they wouldn't," said Cecil Hafford, a volunteer firefighter who helped evacuate residents. "They say there's still one guy in (an apartment) who wouldn't leave."
Hafford helped residents try to assess the damage Thursday.
"We've got a big cleanup ahead of us, but that's the thing about this area. Everybody will pitch in. Everybody will help one another. We take everything in stride," Hafford said. "Everybody's just anxious for getting the water out of the way and getting things back to normal."
The river crested at a record level of 30.17 feet at about 7 p.m. Wednesday, said Ouellette. That's 5 feet above flood stage and nearly 3 feet higher than the previous record for Fort Kent, set in 1979.
The level had dropped to 28 feet late Thursday and is expected to drop below 25 feet -- the official flood level -- late today, Ouellette said.
Rising waters in the St. John first raised concerns last week on the Canadian side, where homes also have been flooded and evacuated.
A 3-inch rainstorm early this week, combined with the melting snow, led to a rapid surge Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Fort Kent, the river rose to within 6 inches of overflowing the town's earthen dike. With the top of the levee about 10 feet above Main Street, officials were visibly relieved Thursday that there was no breach.
"It's contained. It's coming down," Ouellette said after flying over the downtown area Thursday.
Evacuated residents were not immediately allowed to return to their homes, however, because of concern that the dike might still be vulnerable. Maine State Police troopers ordered numerous residents to stay out of the area Thursday, said Sgt. Thomas Pelletier.
Pelletier urged officials to keep people out until the dike could be inspected and declared safe. "If they don't want to (leave), let them know they'll be arrested," Pelletier said.
No injuries were reported, although search and rescue crews remained on standby through the night.
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