ELLSWORTH, Maine — The Federal Emergency Management Agency opened its second Disaster Recovery Center in Maine this week in response to powerful storms in January that brought heavy damage and severe flooding along the coast.
Both centers opened within two weeks of President Joe Biden's approval of a major disaster declaration request by Gov. Janet Mills, which she made in late February.
The first center in response to the January storms opened in York County on March 28 at Wells Fire Station #2. The second opened a week later at the Moore Community Center in Ellsworth.
FEMA officials at both locations work to deliver grants to qualified homeowners and renters who sustained damage to their properties in January and reimburse those who have already spent money toward fixing their homes in the wake of the storms.
“FEMA doesn’t put things back to exactly the way it was before disaster, but it certainly helps to getting people moving in the right direction towards recovery,” FEMA spokesperson Jann Tracey said Saturday.
The agency has already distributed more than $500,000 of assistance statewide, but Tracey said foot traffic at the Ellsworth center has been slow during the first few days at the facility, with staff Saturday afternoon saying they have only fielded questions from one family since they opened.
Applications for FEMA grants can be made online or by phone, but Tracey does see a certain mentality as a hurdle to distributing aid.
“I’ve been told that Mainers are kind of the mindset, ‘Oh I don’t need any help,’ or, ‘Help my neighbor, he needs it more than I do,” Tracey explained.
In addition to grants to individuals, the Small Business Administration is working at the Disaster Recovery Center to distribute loans to businesses, nonprofits, and homeowners.
According to Brian Beard, a public affairs specialist with the SBA, the interest rates on these loans are set based on the financials of a company. Personal property loans can be as low as 2.68 percent, with business loans as low as 4 percent, Beard said. Larger businesses that could get a line of credit from a bank or make repairs using their own assets would be likely to get rates of 8 percent, he added.
The SBA and FEMA plan to open Disaster Recovery Centers in all eight of Maine’s coastal counties impacted by the storms in January.
Individuals and business owners in Maine who experienced losses in these designated areas can apply for assistance here or by calling 1-800-621- 3362.
For loans from the Small Business Administration, visit https://lending.sba.gov.
You can also contact call 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.