Harpswell residents urged to report damage, prepare for next storm

Gov. Janet Mills has declared a state of civil emergency for Maine’s eight coastal counties following an overnight storm that began Tuesday, Jan. 9, which caused significant private and public property damage in Harpswell and other seaside communities.

Meanwhile, a second storm was forecast to hit the Maine coast early Saturday that local and state officials feared would cause additional damage, although it wasn’t expected to be as severe as the one earlier this week.

On Thursday, the governor urged coastal residents, fishermen and others to report the damage they suffered in Tuesday’s storm, which dumped at least 2 inches of rain on Harpswell and brought wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour along its coast.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources issued instructions Thursday on its website for reporting residential and commercial property damage, including links to online damage assessment surveys.

The department urged affected residents and businesses to fill out a survey, while noting that doing so did not constitute an application for financial assistance or guarantee that any such assistance would be provided.

“Significant rain, wind, and flooding have once again ravaged our state — this time our small communities up and down the coast,” Mills said Thursday in a statement. “The damage we are seeing is devastating, from working waterfronts, to small businesses, to public roadways and more.”

The governor added that declaring a state of civil emergency enhances Maine’s ability to seek federal financial assistance through a federal disaster declaration. She said the Maine Emergency Management Agency “has begun working with local partners to assess the damage caused by the storm.”

Harpswell Fire Administrator Michael Drake said local residents shouldn’t contact the town directly to report property damage, as an earlier notice from the state had advised. He said there was far too much damage for municipal staff to assess on their own.

“To document your damage, call your insurance company. See if you’re covered. Immediately notify them what happened,” Drake said at Thursday night’s Select Board meeting. “The biggest thing that’s coming from emergency management right now is take pictures of everything you have. Take pictures of damage to homes, any picture you can get.”

He added that fishermen should photograph underneath wharves at low tide to document any otherwise hidden damage, and that homeowners should check their roofs for damage and patch any holes before Saturday’s expected weather event.

Town Administrator Kristi Eiane told the Select Board there were disastrous impacts in Harpswell and elsewhere as a result of the recent storm.

“The working waterfront infrastructure in Harpswell and along the coast of Maine has really been devastated, and so they need to collect information to try to establish a magnitude to see if there will be some financial resources available,” Eiane said.

Tuesday night’s storm brought high winds and severe coastal flooding to Harpswell, sank at least one boat and grounded two others, washed away docks and piers, and caused major damage to homes and other buildings.

“There was massive damage to many working waterfronts along the coast of Maine today,” the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association reported on its Facebook page. “Boats dragged their moorings, some ended up on the ledges. Many wharves lost a few planks, some lost them all.”

The storm, which also downed trees and power lines, left behind roughly a foot of pooled water on the causeway to Potts Point in South Harpswell, stranding residents with vehicles too small to traverse the flooding. But by Thursday, most of the water had drained and the road was passable again.

The town dock at Potts Point also took severe damage and was expected to be unusable for the foreseeable future. Town officials said they feared Saturday’s follow-up storm might completely destroy it.

Local emergency crews responded to 10 storm-related calls Tuesday night and early Wednesday, including eight involving downed trees and power lines, and two gas leaks caused by dislodged tanks. In addition, a home on Linnell Drive on Bailey Island was severely damaged by flooding and its propane tanks displaced.

Several homes along Washington Avenue on Bailey Island, near the Giant’s Stairs trail, also suffered severe impacts, including battered walls and blown-out windows.

The storm caused significant damage to boats and marine infrastructure. The Jacob Pike, a 60-foot wooden sardine boat, sank near Dingley Island. Two lobster boats north of Dolphin Marina broke loose from their moorings Tuesday night and were tossed high up on the rocky shore.

The storm also caused power outages to about half of Harpswell, though most customers had their power restored within 24 hours.

According to the National Weather Service, a second storm was expected to hit the Maine coast early Saturday, bringing with it wind gusts of up to 50 mph and a peak surge of 2.5 to 3 feet. A wind advisory was in effect from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for coastal Cumberland, York, Sagadahoc and Lincoln counties. The weather service also issued a coastal flood warning, effective 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Drake said Saturday’s storm was expected to cause less coastal damage because its highest winds and resulting storm surge were expected to taper off before high tide, just after noon.

Still, he urged local residents, particularly those in vulnerable areas such as Potts Point, to be ready for another round of flooding and other hazards.

“One thing I would recommend (to) residents that live on the Potts Point peninsula: You are going to be an island around noontime on Saturday, so prepare for that,” he said. “It’s expected to flood, that causeway, again on Saturday, so please be prepared.”

J.W. Oliver contributed to this story.

Have a comment or news tip? Email J. Craig Anderson at craig@harpswellanchor.org.