Kittery leaders assess damage from coastal storms, flooding: 'We must act'

KITTERY, Maine — Back-to-back coastal flooding events this month caused “significant damage” to the Fort Foster pier, in addition to damage at Pepperrell Cove, according to Town Manager Kendra Amaral.

The cost of the damage from the two storms — one on Jan. 10, followed by another Jan. 13 — is being evaluated. The storms caused intense flooding in communities along the Maine and New Hampshire coastline, forcing some residents out of their homes.

"Everything’s just ruined": York and Hampton beaches face devastating flood damage

In Kittery, the storms battered the Fort Foster pier and the Pepperrell Cove commercial fishing pier. Riprap beneath the Pepperrell Cove parking lot was lost, and town officials are assessing storm drain infrastructure, coastal culverts and the pathways at Fort Foster.

“If anyone’s been out there to see, it has experienced significant damage,” Amaral said of the Fort Foster pier at the Monday meeting of the Town Council.

“Right now we’re assessing the damage to the public infrastructure,” she added. “We’re going to be tracking the costs of the response for repair.”

Public safety personnel from Kittery, in addition to the town harbormaster and public works and sewer department employees, were scattered throughout the town during both storms. Their work involved responding to flooding in residents’ homes and other emergency calls, clearing trees, limbs, downed wires and debris from roads, checking storm drains, and monitoring boater safety and marine infrastructure.

“I do want to say (that) we are of one voice in our deep appreciation of what emergency services and other support staff did during the two flood events,” said Town Council chairperson Judy Spiller. “I think those of us on council know that we have terrific town employees, and this was truly a public demonstration of their dedication and expertise.”

Town officials have received calls from citizens remarking coastal storms are bringing unprecedented flooding to their homes and the roads where they reside.

'Environment has changed'

“What we’re seeing is this higher level of precipitation. We’re seeing these more significant storms. We’re seeing the waters are rising and the grounds get saturated,” Amaral said. “These are all things that are part of what we’re experiencing in climate change and why the council has put so much effort into our climate adaptation strategies and our climate action plan, because we do need to adapt. The environment has changed.”

In December, 29 town climate action plan strategies were adopted by the Town Council, all of which were developed by the Kittery Climate Action Task Force. Recommendations include preserving and revitalizing working waterfronts, advising residents of health effects from climate and extreme weather events, updating evacuation routes for current and future flood risk areas and protecting water-related infrastructure.

Councilor Cameron Hamm is away on military leave but submitted a letter regarding the coastal storms that was read aloud by Spiller on Monday.

“A special thanks to the dedicated members of Kittery's fire department, public works, police department, and all other individuals who assisted with storm management efforts over the past few weeks,” he wrote. “I'm grateful to live in a town such as ours and our public safety team is one of the reasons why. The incessant storms highlight a need already mentioned in the climate adaptation plan. How do we manage a community beset by rising sea levels and violent storms? I'm grateful for the climate change committees' hard work in drafting a plan the council recently approved. We must act.”

The town is seeking public participation in a short survey designed for residents to upload photos of the coastal flooding and storm damage that they’ve experienced or witnessed.

“These help us not only in applying for grants and funding but it’s also part of our analysis effort on what we’re seeing for changes in Kittery relative to climate change,” Amaral said.

Maine seeks FEMA disaster funds

Maine Gov. Janet Mills has requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency consider the two storms as a single disaster event, according to Amaral.

“Hopefully that should be finalized at the federal level soon and that means that we’ll be eligible for some reimbursement for damage response and repair to anything that was harmed by the storm,” Amaral said.

Maine’s congressional delegation wrote to FEMA regional administrator Lori Ehrlich on Tuesday supporting Mills’ request for the consecutive storms to be lumped together for the purposes of damage assessment and reporting.

The letter from U.S. Sen. Susan, Collins, a Republican, independent U.S. Sen. Angus King, U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, both Democrats, citing “record-setting with catastrophic damage to Maine’s coastline and economy.”

“Significant damage and flooding from the original storm front had not yet been resolved when the second storm entered Maine less than 72 hours later. The affected areas experienced King Tides throughout the duration of these weather events, with higher tides from the second storm than the first. The resulting conditions were hazardous, making it exceedingly difficult to conduct damage assessments and to administratively separate the damages,” their letter reads.

On Jan. 11, Mills declared a state of civil emergency for eight coastal counties in the state — Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York counties — a declaration made before the second storm further disrupted the Maine coastline.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kittery assesses damage from coastal storms as Maine seeks FEMA funds