Lightning, Cumberland
- When
- September 15, 10:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland County, Westbrook
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning Strikes in Maine, September 15, 1998
Lightning struck a 110 foot tall steeple at the University of New England's Westbrook College Campus, blowing a hole out of the side of the steeple about 60 feet from the top. Lightning also struck the steeple at Woodsford Congregational Church, but reportedly caused no significant damage.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Lightning struck a 110 foot tall steeple at the University of New England's Westbrook College Campus, blowing a hole out of the side of the steeple about 60 feet from the top. Lightning also struck the steeple at Woodsford Congregational Church, but reportedly caused no significant damage.
The radar
The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 11 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:00 UTC.
Event by event
2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning, Cumberland
- When
- September 15, 10:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland County, Portland
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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
- Tornado in Florida, September 15, 1998
- Strong Wind in Connecticut, September 15 to 16, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Texas, September 15, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, September 15, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Texas, September 15 to 16, 1998
- Heavy Rain in Puerto Rico, September 15, 1998
- Funnel Cloud in Florida, September 15, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Massachusetts, September 15, 1998
More
Every storm in Maine in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, September 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: 5676185, 5676186.