Maine, 2000

Flash Flooding and Flooding in Maine, April 9 to 11, 2000

April 9 to 11, 2000 · NWS GYX · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

Low pressure developed over West Virginia on Saturday, the 8th, and moved northeast to central Massachusetts by Sunday morning setting up a strong, southeast flow of moist air over northern New England. The heaviest rain fell in the foothills from near Bethel to the upper Piscataquis River valley, mainly during the morning and early afternoon of Sunday, with almost 2 inches of rain reported in…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$435,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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.

Low pressure developed over West Virginia on Saturday, the 8th, and moved northeast to central Massachusetts by Sunday morning setting up a strong, southeast flow of moist air over northern New England. The heaviest rain fell in the foothills from near Bethel to the upper Piscataquis River valley, mainly during the morning and early afternoon of Sunday, with almost 2 inches of rain reported in portions of the Kennebec and Piscataquis River valleys. The heavy rains caused road and culvert washouts in Oxford, Somerset, Androscoggin, Franklin, and Kennebec Counties. In addition, the heavy rainfall caused the Swift, Carrabassett, and Kennebec Rivers to flood. The Swift River was in flood from 10:45 am until 9:45 pm on the 9th, reaching a crest of 10.47 feet at 3:15 pm; flood stage is 7 feet. The Carrabassett River was in flood from 5:45 pm until 11:15 pm on the 9th, reaching a crest of 16.09 feet at 7:45 pm; flood stage is 15 feet. The Kennebec River was in flood from 0600 am on the 10th until 11:00 am on the 11th, reaching a maximum flow of 47,160 cfs at Skowhegan at 10:00 am on the 10th (flood flow is 35,000 cfs), and crested at 14.90 feet in Augusta at 1 pm on the 10th (flood stage is 13 feet).

The radar

The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood, 4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Androscoggin

When
April 9, 9:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Androscoggin County, Countywide
Property damage
$79,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
44.166, -70.206 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Oxford

When
April 9, 9:45 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Oxford County, Countywide
Property damage
$127,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
44.500, -70.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Franklin

When
April 9, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Franklin County, Countywide
Property damage
$90,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
44.974, -70.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Kennebec

When
April 9, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Kennebec County, Countywide
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
44.409, -69.767 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Southern Oxford

When
April 9, 2:00 PM EST to April 10, 1:30 AM EST
Where
Southern Oxford forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.500, -70.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Southern Somerset

When
April 9, 4:45 PM EST to 10:15 PM EST
Where
Southern Somerset forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Somerset

When
April 9, 4:55 PM EST to 11:15 PM EST
Where
Somerset County, Countywide
Property damage
$114,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Kennebec

When
April 10, 5:00 AM EST to April 11, 12:45 AM EST
Where
Kennebec forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
44.409, -69.767 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Southern Somerset

When
April 10, 6:00 PM EST to April 11, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Somerset forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maine in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, April 2000

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: 5142952, 5142955, 5142953, 5142954, 5142950, 5142948, 5142956, 5142951, 5142949.