County emergency staff, Coast Guard and ferry operators assist Monhegan Island after generator failures

County emergency management staff told commissioners they responded this month after Monhegan Island experienced a multi‑day power outage when both of the island’s primary generators failed.

Emergency Management staff said they and the county’s director transported two household generators and cases of water to the island by Coast Guard transport and coordinated delivery of a 30‑kilowatt trailer generator via a commercial boat with crane capacity. Staff said power service resumed using rented generators; the county’s equipment remains staged on the island until Monhegan’s original generators are confirmed operational.

The county identified immediate needs that complicated the response, including fuel logistics (diesel for the larger units, gasoline for some household generators) and limited communications during rolling brownouts. “We offered our EMA 30 kilowatt generator...they got that out Saturday morning for us,” the staff member said. Staff said Sunday power was restored through rented generators while they await confirmation that the island’s own units are back to full function.

Emergency Management staff said they plan an after‑action review this week to document what worked, what resources were requested and what additional mitigation (including grant funding) the island might pursue to reduce future outages. Staff said they will follow up in September to continue planning and that relationships with the Coast Guard and ferry operators were instrumental in the quick initial response.

County commissioners were told the island is roughly 10 miles offshore and that limited cell and broadband coverage, plus the island’s topography, constrained communications during the outage.

No formal vote was tied to the briefing; staff requested continued support for planning and potential grant pursuits to strengthen island resilience.