Machias, Maine – A small coastal community of about 2,000 people has taken a proactive, faith‑grounded approach to protect its homes, businesses and historic downtown from increasingly severe flooding. After the ninth “100‑year” flood in early 2024, town leaders, the Sunrise County Economic Council and the Passamaquoddy Tribe joined forces to develop practical, locally‑focused resilience measures.
Local leadership drives the effort
Dr. Tora Johnson, director of the Sustainable Prosperity Initiative at the Sunrise County Economic Council, has been at the center of the town’s response. Johnson, a geographer with a background in social science, says the community’s first step was to listen to residents rather than impose a top‑down climate narrative.
“We didn’t go around and say, ‘You idiot, you have to believe in climate change,’” Johnson explained. “We just asked what tools they needed, and then we made them.”
Mapping flood risk for everyday use
One of the first tools created was an interactive map that overlays storm‑surge data on local roads and property parcels. The map, developed in the early 2010s, revealed that downtown Machias – home to small businesses, municipal offices and historic homes – faces a higher flood risk than most of the state.
Armed with that information, residents and business owners began using the map to plan evacuations, protect equipment and consider structural upgrades. The effort has been especially important for the town’s vital economic drivers: commercial fishing, blueberry farming and tourism.
Partnerships with tribal nations
The Passamaquoddy Tribe, which steward 44 square miles of reservation land and 180 square miles of trust land in Washington County, has contributed expertise in home weatherization, heat‑pump installation and free energy audits. Tribal groups such as the Sipayik Resilience Committee and the Wabanaki Sustainable Energy Team are collaborating with state agencies to bring additional resources to the region.
Funding challenges and community resolve
Rural climate‑resilience projects receive less than 2 % of all philanthropic climate‑related funding, despite rural America accounting for 19 % of the nation’s population and 97 % of its land area. Machias is confronting that disparity by leveraging local grant opportunities, private donations and volunteer labor.
“We’re a conservative‑leaning community that values hard work and family,” Johnson said. “Our faith teaches us to be good stewards of the land God gave us, so we’re taking responsibility for our own safety.”
Concrete actions underway
- Reinforcement of the historic dike that protects Route 1, the main coastal artery.
- Installation of flood‑gate barriers at critical low‑lying roadways.
- Upgrades to the town’s wastewater treatment facility to handle higher water levels.
- Community workshops on emergency preparedness and property‑level flood mitigation.
These steps are being carried out by volunteers, local contractors and tribal partners, all coordinated through the Sunrise County Economic Council’s resilience task force.
Looking ahead
While the town cannot control the broader forces of extreme weather, Machias is demonstrating that a faith‑centered, family‑focused community can take meaningful action. The town’s leaders hope their model will inspire other rural, conservative communities to address flooding without partisan rhetoric, focusing instead on practical solutions that protect lives and livelihoods.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
