By TAMMY WELLS

Senior Staff Writer

ALFRED — York County municipalities hit hard by snow removal costs will get some relief for those expenses incurred during the January blizzard.

Gov. Paul R. LePage on Friday announced that Maine’s request for disaster declaration to address the costs of the Jan. 26-28 blizzard in York, Cumberland and Androscoggin counties has been approved by President Barack Obama.

A damage assessment identified more than $2.5 million in snow removal and response costs, as well as repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities, according to Adrienne Bennett, press secretary

for LePage.

The declaration means the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse municipalities and state agencies for 75 percent of their costs for at least 48 hours of snow removal, as well as for costs associated with emergency protective measures and any infrastructure damage related to the storm.

Dave Francoeur of York County Emergency Management Agency said York County municipalities totaled up $1.3 million in damages ”“ including snow and debris removal, salt, sand and associated overtime costs.

“It was a record snow event,” said Francoeur. “Most snow removal budgets were toast by then. Hopefully this (reimbursement) by FEMA will keep public works crews in the black.”

Sanford and North Waterboro came up trumps in the snow totals from the January blizzard, tying for the most snowfall in the state. Snowfall in both of the communities totaled 31.5 inches.

Saco saw 27 inches of snow; Biddeford, 25.5 inches; Wells, 24 inches and Kennebunk, 23.7 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service Office in Gray.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].