Floodwaters ebb as Maine governor seeks disaster declaration
FORT KENT, Maine—Residents of more than 100 flooded homes were allowed to return Friday as the St. John River dropped much faster than expected, falling below flood stage a day after reaching the highest level ever recorded at Fort Kent.
Gov. John Baldacci, who visited the region for a second time Friday, issued a formal request to President Bush for a disaster declaration for Aroostook County.
The St. John River, which topped out above 30 feet early Thursday, fell to below 24 feet on Friday and the town's earthen levee passed an inspection by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Police Chief Kenneth Michaud said Main Street was reopened to traffic, and people were heading back to their homes to pump out their cellars and assess damage in areas that were flooded Wednesday and Thursday. Businesses can't open until they get clearance from the health inspector.
Baldacci decided to move ahead with his disaster request after touring the region in a helicopter with the regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. All four members of Maine's congressional delegation also got an aerial tour on Friday.
In his letter to the president, Baldacci estimated that more than 200 homes have been damaged and between 600 and 1,000 people were displaced from their homes.
"I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary," the governor wrote.
For the state to qualify for federal aid, the damage has to reach $1.6 million, said Lynette Miller of the Maine Emergency Management Agency. Although the heaviest damage was in Aroostook County, there was damage elsewhere in the state, as well, she said.
Art Cleaves, the regional FEMA chief, told the governor that he felt the state would easily reach the threshold, said David Farmer, Baldacci's spokesman.
Many roads and bridges were damaged by the heavy rainfall Tuesday and ensuing floods.
In Fort Kent, the International Bridge connecting Fort Kent and Clair, New Brunswick, remained closed on Friday but a team from the Maine Department of Transportation and an inspector from Canada planned to inspect the bridge Saturday morning.
They want to make sure that the two-lane bridge wasn't moved from its supports by the fast-moving waters before allowing it to be reopened, said Mark Latti, an MDOT spokesman.
Across the border in Canada, floodwaters stabilized 200 miles to the south in Fredericton, where more than 600 people had to leave their homes.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham in checking out the flood damage on Friday.
Also Friday, military officials considered sending a barge to rescue a herd of cows threatened by the flood in the St. John River Valley. The stranded bovines were located in Maugerville, downstream from Fredericton.
------
On the Net:
Maine Emergency Management Agency: http://www.state.me.us/mema
