AUGUSTA, Maine — There is plenty of storm damage to the judicial building on State Street in Augusta, with quite a few downed limbs and debris littering the area.
During Wednesday’s downpours and high winds, a significant amount of damage was done to the Kennebec County District Attorney’s office.
“I heard a giant boom, and the ceiling started raining, is what it felt like. So I went out in the hallway to see how extensive this rainstorm was, and as far as I could tell, it was coming from everywhere,” Kennebec and Somerset Counties District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said.
Maloney’s initial reaction was to contact the maintenance crew and then work to save the computers and leave the building.
“The storm caused the collapse of the chimney, which caused a hole in the roof and all of the slate and brick from the hole in the roof hit the sprinkler system, and it caused the flooding of the office,” Maloney said.
Evidence of that flooding was still clear hours later Wednesday.
Although the damage is relatively serious, it is expected to be fixed soon. Normal operations are expected to be underway once the necessary cleanup is completed.
“They’re putting in a temporary fix right away. We already have the electricity back up and running and the internet is back up and running,” Maloney said.
“Crime doesn’t stop because we have a hole in our roof. So, we are working today. Thankfully there are two separate buildings, there’s the District Attorney’s Office and then there’s the Capitol Judicial Center. All of the court takes place at the Capital Judicial Center,” Maloney said.
Maloney also mentioned there’s some concern about the structural safety of the old courtroom, and some of the offices behind the old courtroom may take more time to repair.
