Drought, Androscoggin
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Androscoggin forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.166, -70.206 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Maine, May 1 to 26, 2001
The lack of significant rainfall in April and May resulted in dangerously dry ground conditions throughout the state. Numerous wildfires were reported throughout the state and the dry conditions also stunted the growth of spring crops.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 17 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
- 17
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.
The lack of significant rainfall in April and May resulted in dangerously dry ground conditions throughout the state. Numerous wildfires were reported throughout the state and the dry conditions also stunted the growth of spring crops. In Portland, May's precipitation was only 1.15 inches for the month; April precipitation was only 1.26 inches. For the 31 days between April 13 and May 14, only 0.16 inches of precipitation fell, and for the 44 days between April 13 and May 26, only .42 inches of precipitation was reported. While the largest wildfires were reported in the eastern part of the state, numerous smaller wildfires occurred throughout western and southern Maine. In Fairfield, a grass fire spread to a two and a half story barn, completely destroying the barn and equipment inside during the afternoon of May 2.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Gray, ME wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 7:29 PM EST, 4 hours 31 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 7:29 PM EST, 4 hours 31 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 829 PM EDT MON APR 30 2001 CLDS STILL STREAMING SE DWN THE ERN PART OF THE RIDGE ACRS WRN ME BUT DSIPATING AS THEY REACH THE COAST. SRN NH MSTLY CLEAR. WL UPDATE TO REMOVE EVENING FCST PD AND TOUCH UP SKY FCST IN TNGT PORTION. GYX...NIL. TEB
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
17 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Central Somerset
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Central Somerset forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 45.514, -69.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Coastal Cumberland
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Coastal Cumberland forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Coastal Waldo
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Coastal Waldo forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.485, -69.122 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Coastal York
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Coastal York forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Interior Cumberland
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Interior Cumberland forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Interior Waldo
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Interior Waldo forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.485, -69.122 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Interior York
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Interior York forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Kennebec
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Kennebec forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.409, -69.767 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Knox
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Knox forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.076, -69.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Lincoln
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Lincoln forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.998, -69.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Northern Franklin
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Franklin forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.974, -70.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Northern Oxford
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Oxford forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.500, -70.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Sagadahoc
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Sagadahoc forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.912, -69.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Southern Franklin
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Franklin forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 44.974, -70.444 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Southern Oxford
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 PM 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)
Drought, Southern Somerset
- When
- May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 26, 11:59 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)
What these are
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, May 1, 2001
- Drought in Florida, May 1 to 20, 2001
- Tornado and Hail in Wisconsin, May 1, 2001
- Flooding in Wisconsin, May 1 to 18, 2001
- Flooding in Minnesota, May 1 to 16, 2001
- Flooding in Iowa, May 1 to 9, 2001
- Flooding in Iowa, May 1 to 18, 2001
- High Wind in California, May 1 to 2, 2001
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Iowa, May 1 to 2, 2001
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, May 1, 2001
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Wisconsin, May 1, 2001
- Drought in North Carolina, May 1 to 31, 2001
More
Every storm in Maine in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, May 2001
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: 5244991, 5244992, 5244993, 5244994, 5244995, 5245063, 5245064, 5245065, 5245066, 5245067, 5245068, 5245069, 5245070, 5245071, 5245072, 5245073, 5245074.