The information is being collected in an effort for the state to receive federal disaster relief.
By Donna M. Perry
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – Emergency management officials need information from towns, businesses and individuals suffering recent storm damage.

Businesses or individuals in Franklin County with properties damaged during the heavy snowstorms of Dec. 7 and 8 or heavy rains on Dec. 17 and 18 should call their town offices or stop by the offices to fill out a form, said Olive Toothaker, assistant Franklin County Emergency Management Agency manager.

Toothaker said she has already collected information on nearly $50,000 in estimated damage for heavy snowfall in early December from Farmington, Jay, Phillips and Wilton. Some of that comes from overtime pay for town employees to remove the snow.

She has also collected data on about $6,000 in costs associated with heavy rainfall.

But she needs more, she said.

Toothaker is collecting information as part of the state’s effort to get federal disaster relief and to see if Franklin County qualifies for some relief.

Besides collecting damage information for roads, public buildings and facilities, and governmental costs for evacuation and shelters, Maine’s Emergency Management Agency is also collecting numbers for individual assistance to find out how many homes and businesses were affected by floodwaters.

Among other items, individual assistance may cover damage or losses to private homes – primary residences only, rental property, businesses, farms, cropland, and livestock losses.

Among the information sought is the cost of debris removal. That includes trees, sand, mud, silt, gravel, vehicles and other disaster-related material.

Damage to playground equipment, swimming pools, cemeteries, boat docks and tennis courts should also be included.

People need to provide an estimate of damage and whatever they paid to fix the problem and the original bill for the state, Toothaker said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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