Coast Guard, Maine officials complete overflight to assess Hurricane Kyle’s impact

PORTLAND, Maine – Coast Guard and Maine officials completed an over flight today of the Maine coast from Rockland to Eastport to assess the impact of Hurricane Kyle.

Captain Jim McPherson, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, and Robert McAleer, the director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, conducted the post-storm assessment aboard an HU-25 Falcon Jet from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Mass.

No major damage was identified and the impact to the coastal communities appeared minimal.

The highest offshore waves and seas recorded during the storm from ocean weather buoys were 36-foot seas and 80-knot winds. The hurricane force winds appeared to have stayed far enough off the coast to minimize the damage.

It is Coast Guard procedure to immediately conduct surveillance missions after storms to assess the following:

-Determine if any unreported vessels are in distress offshore.
-Ascertain damage to aids to navigation.
-Observe if any visible sheens of oil are present.
-Record positions of derelict vessels.

“This opportunity for MEMA to work together jointly with our federal partner reflects not only the mutual interests we have in the outcome of any maritime or coastal type event but is also indicative of the close cooperation that was in constant play throughout the entire preparation and response phase,” said McAleer. “Viewing the conditions after the storm had passed and knowing that our perceptions matched the reality enables us to close the books on this event and move onto the next.”

“There was tremendous cooperation between all our port partners, but in particular, the Coast Guard and MEMA coordinated very well to plan for any impact,” said McPherson. “We were pleased to have the State of Maine join us on today’s flight. We are also pleased with the great preparations in the marine community that were made to prepare for the storm.”


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