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Storm Damage Estimates Continue to Rise, May Surpass Alstead Floods

Jason Moon/NHPR

  Damage estimates from last week’s severe storm continue to rise and appear likely to qualify for a presidential major disaster declaration.

Perry Plummer, director of the New Hampshire Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said Monday on The Exchange that the state’s damage tally is currently at $13.5 million.

The assessment is for damaged public roads, infrastructure, and property or buildings. At one point, hundreds of roads were closed due to storm flooding or erosion.

“And that does not take into account the individual damage that’s out there with homes and basements and those types of things,” Plummer said. “So it’s certainly rising. And to put that into perspective, it may surpass the Alstead floods for public damage.”

 

[New Hampshire's Most Expensive Natural Disasters]

 

The Alstead flooding, based on a storm Oct. 26, 2005, was a major disaster declaration. The federal government determined $14.3 million worth of damage was eligible for assistance.

Plummer is referring to government or public reimbursement under a presidential disaster declaration. Individuals or private owners, who are unlikely to qualify for that assistance, should call 2-1-1 if they have questions about personal property damage, according to Plummer.

Eversource NH President Bill Quinlan, who also appeared on The Exchange, said the state’s largest utility continues to assess damage. He said it may be in the range of $30 million to $40 million.

The state reports the storm was the fourth-largest power outage in New Hampshire history.

As of 4 p.m. Monday, Eversource reported an estimated 239 customers still without power. N.H. Electric Co-op reported 378.

 

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