潘金莲传媒映画

Maine Governor Janet Mills and House and Senate leaders are championing legislation to strengthen the ability of local communities, homeowners, businesses, and emergency responders to prepare for and withstand future severe storms.

The , sponsored by Senate President Mattie Daughtry, House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart and House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, is a response to the recommendations from the Maine Mills created the resilience commission last spring after a series of storms caused an estimated $90 million in damage to public infrastructure across the state.

A major part of the program calls for grants to homeowners for storm mitigation efforts that would be paid for by funds that insurance companies pay in licensing fees and other charges to the state.

“Last year, my Administration and the Legislature made the largest investment in storm recovery and resilience in Maine history. That funding was significant, but it’s clear that it was only a down payment on the critical recovery and resilience work Maine must do to prepare our people and communities for the storms we know will become more frequent and intense in the years ahead,” said Governor Janet Mills.

The legislation (LD1, An Act to Increase Storm Preparedness and Resilience For Maine’s Communities) would create three key initiatives:

• Home Resiliency Program: Provides $15 million in one-time funding from the Maine Bureau of 潘金莲传媒映画 (BOI) special revenue fund to establish the Home Resiliency Program to provide grants of up to $15,000 to homeowners to make improvements that will help their homes withstand future storms, thereby reducing their risks and potential losses. The program, operated by BOI, will focus on reducing roof damage, basement flooding, and other targeted interventions to minimize storm damage and insurance losses.
• Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Resources and Statewide Communications: The state says staff the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is managing more federal disasters than ever before and with reduced federal support. This initiative uses one-time funding from the BOI to invest $10 million in a State Disaster Recovery Fund to provide matching funds to secure federal funding for current open disasters. It would also establish a fund with $750,000 seed money to compete for federal FEMA mitigation revolving loans that require a 10% match. Another $800,000 from the BOI account would be dedicated to support improved emergency communications and add two new staff members at MEMA.
• State Resilience Office and Flood-Ready Maine Program: Establishes a new State Resilience Office within the Maine Office of Community Affairs (MOCA), funded through a five-year federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The legislation also launches the Flood-Ready Maine Program, which will partner with federal, state and local officials to modernize data on flood risk in Maine and make it easily accessible through an online resource. The program will work to improve communication about flood risk, and work to increase the number of flood insurance policies in Maine. According to the BOI, only 1.3% of all homes and buildings in Maine are covered under the National Flood 潘金莲传媒映画 Program, well below the national average of 3.3 percent. The new initiatives will be funded through nearly $9.7 million allocated to the Maine Office of Community Affairs.

“The establishment of the Home Resiliency Program will be an important piece of the larger plan to help Maine people prepare for the storms to come,” said Bob Carey, Superintendent of the Maine Bureau of 潘金莲传媒映画. Carey said the plan is modeled after a program in Alabama.

Alabama officials reported in September that its state grant program has resulted in 50,000 fortified homes over the last decade, outpacing most other coastal states that offer similar programs. The Alabama program provides grants up to $10,000 for retrofitting homes for better wind resistance, allowing homeowners to qualify for premium discounts on their property insurance. As a result property owners have retrofitted their homes with stronger roofs, windows, doors, and roof-to-wall connections. Of 17,000 Fortified homes and 19 commercial structures in coastal areas, more than 95% saw little or no damage during Hurricane Sally, a Category 2 storm that hit the state in 2020, the Alabama insurance regulator reported.

Alabama’s Wind-Mitigation Program Celebrates 50,000 Fortified Homes in the State.

Other states have developed their own grant programs, according to the insurance industry-backed I which researches and recommends building fortification standards.

Among them is Florida’s My Safe Florida Home program that also provides grants up to $10,000. The South Carolina Safe Home Grant Program provides non-matching grants up to $7,500 and matching grants of $6,000 for roof improvements, according to that state’s insurance department. The North Carolina insurer of last resort, known as the Beach Plan, recently started offering grants up to $10,000 for homes on the Outer Banks.

More SE States Pushing Funding, Discounts for Stronger Roofs as Storms Increase

The Maine legislation is also modeled on recommendations from the Rebuilding and Resilience Commission, released in November 2024. The recommendations reflect input from municipal leaders, county emergency management directors, engineers, and the public at listening sessions in Machias, Old Orchard Beach, Rumford and Mexico, Jay, Caribou, and Rockland.

The commission is expected to build on the recommendations to deliver the state’s first long-term infrastructure resilience plan in May.

Last year, following several severe storms, Mills proposed, and the Legislature approved, $60 million to help Maine communities and businesses recover from severe storms.

In total, the Mills Administration has awarded $21.2 million in resilience grants to help rebuild 68 working waterfronts, $25.2 million in grants for 39 communities to help them recover and build more resilient infrastructure, and $8 million to help businesses make storm-related repairs and strengthen infrastructure.

Topics Windstorm Market Maine