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Maine’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, has been called a liar by the National Weather Service after claiming her forecasters failed to warn her about a historic storm.
The esteemed federal agency lambasted Mills after it was criticized for failing to adequately warn locals that up to half a foot of rain would fall on Dec. 18, causing massive flooding and leaving 400,000 people without power.
Mills put his foot down on this last Wednesday while touring flood-stricken Kennebec County, saying, “The National Weather Service did not predict five or six inches of rain in any community in Maine.”
But an NWS spokesman said the 75-year-old lawmaker was talking nonsense, insisting that state and local officials had been informed about the impending Dec. 15 flood.
And on Sunday the 17th, the day before the storm, the weather service met with state officials to brief them on expected flooding, winds and impacts on the state’s coast.
Gov. Janet Mills is coming under fire for saying the National Weather Service did not adequately predict the severity of the winter storm that hit Maine last week.
Cars flood in a parking lot at the Hathaway Creative Center along the Kennebec River, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Waterville, Maine.
Mills and her office have yet to respond to the NWS’s claims that she is a liar.
Images of the storm’s aftermath show cars dangling from extremely damaged roads, intense, murky flooding that swept away other vehicles, collapsed construction sites, and downed trees and power lines.
The storm, which Mills called “an extraordinary event,” moved northeast on Monday, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people, forcing flight cancellations and killing at least four people.
Wind gusts reach nearly 70 miles per hour, which Mills also said the National Weather Service did not predict.
“The National Weather Service did not predict winds between 68 and 70 miles per hour in any area of Maine,” he said. “It was an extraordinary event.”
In fact, the NWS appears to have predicted possible winds of 65 to 70 miles per hour while also predicting four to six inches of rain.
Earlier this week, Mills announced the launch of an online resource for Maine residents who were severely impacted by flooding and other storm damage.
The Maine Flood Assistance and Resource Center opened Tuesday. According to the governor’s office, it will add “information, resources and assistance” for those affected by the storm.
Propane tanks released by floodwaters discharge gas as they float on the Kennebec River through Augusta, Maine, on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023.
Nathan Sennett and Tori Grasse recover furniture from a flooded patio near the Kennebec River, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine.
A car floats in a flooded parking lot at the Hathaway Creative Center along the Kennebec River in Waterville, Maine
A man watches the Kennebec River flood on December 19 in Maine
The center’s announcement came after states of civil emergency were declared in 14 of Maine’s 16 counties.
The severity of the storm’s damage led Mills to request a Major Disaster Declaration from President Joe Biden, which will allow federal resources to supplement state-led recovery efforts.
“In the wake of last week’s storm, my administration launched the Maine Flood Resource and Assistance Center to help Maine people with questions they may have about property damage, traffic safety, tree removal and more. “Mills said in the news release about the resource center.
“We will update this website as more information becomes available as part of our effort to do everything we can to support the quickest recovery possible for Maine communities.”
The governor also announced Tuesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the Maine Emergency Management Agency’s request to begin a preliminary damage assessment, which is the first formal step in requesting the aforementioned Major Disaster Declaration. .