Lightning, Cumberland
- When
- June 13, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland County, Gorham
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning Strike in Maine, June 13, 1998
A 15-year old Gorham boy was struck in the chest by lightning while standing in the kitchen of his house when lightning shot out of the kitchen sink. He was admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment and observation.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS GYX wrote it up.
A 15-year old Gorham boy was struck in the chest by lightning while standing in the kitchen of his house when lightning shot out of the kitchen sink. He was admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment and observation. Lightning struck several other Portland area homes, but did only minor damage.
The radar
The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 11 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:00 UTC.
Event by event
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, June 13, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, June 13, 1998
- Tornado in Kansas, June 13, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, June 13 to 23, 1998
- Heat in Florida, June 13, 1998
- Flooding in Kansas, June 13 to 22, 1998
- Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, June 13, 1998
- Flash Flooding in New Hampshire, June 13 to 15, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, June 13, 1998
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in District of Columbia, June 13, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Maine, June 13 to 15, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Kansas, June 13, 1998
More
Every storm in Maine in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, June 1998
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5675914.