WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has amended a major disaster declaration for the state of Maine to include Sagadahoc County. Sagadahoc will now be eligible for disaster assistance to support emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities in response to the blizzard and flooding that occurred on January 26-28, 2015. Collins, King, and Pingree sent a letter to FEMA in April urging the agency to approve this assistance.

“We are pleased that FEMA has approved this disaster assistance for Sagadahoc County,” said Senators Collins, King, and Congresswoman Pingree in a joint statement. “Sagadahoc communities grappled with near-record snowfall and significant flooding as a result of the storm in late January, and this support will go a long way in aiding the important recovery efforts already underway.”

In February, Maine Governor Paul LePage requested that FEMA declare a major disaster for Androscoggin, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, and York Counties as a result of a snowstorm, severe winter storm, and flooding. Though disaster assistance was approved for Cumberland, York, and Androscoggin Counties, it was not initially approved for Sagadahoc.

A joint FEMA-State Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) conducted in Sagadahoc County on April 13-16 concluded that Sagadahoc County is in fact eligible for Snow Assistance due to documented near-record snowfall received during the January storm. Collins, King, and Pingree then sent a letter to FEMA on April 22^nd urging the agency to reconsider the state of Maine’s request for disaster assistance for Sagadahoc County.

This amended declaration triggers the award of federal funds in Sagadahoc to help clean up and repair damage from the extreme winter weather earlier this year. At least six Sagadahoc communities provided additional documentation demonstrating the municipal costs incurred from the storm, shedding further light on the measures they were forced to take in responding. The January storm cost Sagadahoc County almost $130,000 in cleanup, damage, and emergency measures taken during the storm.

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