Preparing Maine for future storms and flooding will cost billions of dollars according to a commission examining the state’s infrastructure.
Despite the scale of the challenge the state must act urgently to protect communities from the worst effects of climate change, commissioners said in their final report.
The report recommends more than 50 actions and policies to strengthen infrastructure and mitigate risks, improve emergency response and rebuilding and use limited resources to the greatest effect.
And it suggests establishing a reporting system so state agencies and organizations can regularly update progress towards actions outlined in the plan.
Commissioners caution that the scale of the need is massive and note constraints on funding, especially uncertainty of federal support.
But spending to prepare now will put the state in a better position for the future with likely sea level rise and damaging storms, commissioners said
"The choice Maine faces is whether to make proactive investments to safeguard infrastructure and communities against the fury of storms and floods we know will come, or to wait for those storms to hit and pay for the fallout — preventable loss of life, avoidable community devastation, and unnecessary economic disruption," according to the report.
Governor Janet Mills established the commission to develop a plan to better prepare state infrastructure after devastating storms in 2023 and 2024.
The state has already invested tens of millions of dollars for rebuilding from the storms and funding local resilience projects. Gov. Mills recently signed a bipartisan law to pay for disaster relief, update emergency services, and improve flood management.
