In many flood-affected towns significant repairs are under way.
Power and phone service has been restored to most homes.
Makeshift roads and bridges are popping up, allowing work crews to focus on more permanent projects.
But as the governor found out today, despite the improvements, residents and town officials continue to have pressing needs.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports.
Governor John Lynch toured the flood-damaged towns of Ackworth, Walpole, Langdon and Alstead today.
In a state where people are often reluctant to ask for help, the governor decided to offer additional assistance rather than wait for requests.
T.9
4:20 I want to make sure I give you one of these, I will hand them out at the meeting...and you should feel free to make copies, this is a list of contacts you should have access...these are all the power companies....that's a very good idea....nicely done....you should feel free to call me on my cell phone. I am going to hand these out at the meeting today.
Over the day, Lynch passed out laminated cards to local officials with emergency contact information.
In Alstead, Lynch sat down with representatives from the National Guard, the Red Cross, Emergency Management, the towns as well as the utilities to discuss progress.
The first item was whether power and phone service had been restored to all habitable homes.
People around the table agreed to the best of their knowledge, yes, everybody had power back on.
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6:20 so the only houses not having service are those where nobody is currently living there....there are a whole bunch of them living up there that have no power, up in Section 123.
That's Alstead road agent David Crosby.
6:36 I am at my house, my brother is at his house, grandmother is at her house, and the Beesaw's are at their house...So they are living there now...about how many houses are we talking about?...7-8 people are in them right now that have no power...but you can't get to it, so we are patient. I'm not patient...
Somebody quickly suggested getting those families generators until power could be restored in that section of town.
Immediately the governor ran with the idea.
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3:13 I want to stay on those 8 homes, how do we get them generators? Between us and the guard we will get them? How many generators do we have? I've got 22 in theater we know that...we have 12 in this area, and six are currently not in use, b/c power is back on. So can we get them generators today?
Later in the meeting, Crosby told the group that some ten homes were using a field as a way to drive in and out of their homes.
But due to the rain, the ad-hoc road was no longer passable.
Again, those assembled tried to sort out the issue.
Governor Lynch says it's that kind of problem solivng that brought him out today.
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:13 there are now 8 homes in Alstead without power who will now get generators installed this afternoon. So they'll have power this weekend. That's why I am here, to make sure things like that happen, and we are all coordinated and leverage each other's resources.
Now that basic needs such as power and phone service have been largely addressed, secondary concerns are cropping up.
People are worried about water quality and more generally the future.
One woman lost her leech field, and she says she doesn't know if it's worth refilling, since her home may be condemned soon.
Another Alstead resident says he's worried about future erosion of his property.
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1:48 any plans on working on the river to prevent this from happening again...building back up the banks, b/c the river has changed course, and if it keeps this course, people are going to keep losing property and house. And stuff like that.
As Lynch traveled the region, he heard one question over and over.
What is happening with FEMA?
Mid-week, the governor said he expected the federal government to make available a fund worth up to five million dollars.
That plan has been scrapped.
Bu
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1:04 the emergency declaration, at FEMA's advice and initiative has been merged into the major declaration. FEMA tells me that will expedite the process and get us money more quickly in NH.
It's not clear when the federal government will declare parts of New Hampshire a disaster area.
The governor says he expects FEMA auditors to complete their assessments early next week.
If and when the state becomes eligible for aid the federal government is expected to cover 75% of the cost of public projects like road and bridge repairs.
Lynch says he received guarantees from the federal agency that FEMA will rush paper work, and that auditors are aware of the severe devastation.
Matthew Saxton is less concerned about FEMA dollars right now than he is Alstead dollars.
Saxton, a selectman in town, told Governor Lynch there's not enough money in town coffers to pay the workers using the heavy equipment.
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1:43 there is money in the rainy day fund, and we've had a rainy day where we got 12 inches of rain. So there has to be a mechanism, or I hope there is...I am confused...as nearly as I can tell there is money in a state account for situations like this, we are in a position to need some of that money and I don't want to think there is weeks between now and then.
3:33 I think you should continue doing the work you are doing. Continue today, and continue over the weekend, and let me call you Monday. I have faith in you and I have faith in the system...
Governor Lynch declined to offer specifics on how to get the town money quickly.
He said he will go back to Concord and discuss the situation, and he again promised to call the Alstead Selectman Monday.
For NHPR News, I'm DG.
