The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the U.S.Department of Homeland Security, announced on March 13 that threecounties in Maine have been declared federal disaster areas. Theareas were affected by a severe winter storm, snowstorm, andflooding during the period of January 26–28, 2015.

By issuing the declaration, federal funding becomes available to state,eligible tribal and local governments, and certain privatenonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency workand the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the stormsand flooding in Androscoggin, Cumberland, and York counties.Federal funding also is available on a cost-sharing basis forhazard mitigation measures statewide.

For more information on what help is available to the state ofMaine, check out the announcement on FEMA’s website.

The state of Massachusetts is still waiting for its officialdisaster declaration, even though Gov. Charlie Baker held several conversations with FEMAofficials while he was in Washington, D.C., late last monthattending a National Governors Association meeting. A complicatingfactor for Baker is that federal disaster declarations generallyare issued for an individual storm, not the significant snowaccumulations over several storms that parts of the state,including Boston, faced in February.

FEMA lists all disasterdeclarations on its website. You can search by state, type ofdisaster and type of declaration to find out the latest on disasterdeclarations for your area.