Lightning, York
- When
- September 4, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- York County, Alfred
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning Strike in Maine, September 4, 2001
Lightning was believed to be the cause of a woods fire that burned about two acres on Yeaton Hill. It was believed that the fire was caused by a lightning stroke on the 4th, but didn't actually flare up until the 7th.
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
- 0
- 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.
Lightning was believed to be the cause of a woods fire that burned about two acres on Yeaton Hill. It was believed that the fire was caused by a lightning stroke on the 4th, but didn't actually flare up until the 7th. Firefighters spent three days fighting the fire and the hot spots that remained in the very dry ground.
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 Sep 4, 8:50 AM EST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 4, 8:50 AM EST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME 950 AM EDT TUE SEP 4 2001 AGREE WITH SPC IN BAKCING OFF SLGT RISK FOR SRN NH AREA. NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF DYNAMICS NOTED. WILL GO WITH AN INCRG CLD FCST...OTRW NOT MUCH ELSE ANTCPTD IN THE WAY OF CHANGE TO PUBLIC FCST. AS FOR MARINE...SEAS ARE CRNTLY RUNNING 3 FT AT LNB...BUT WILL CONTU SCA AS EXPECT SEAS TO COME UP TO MINIMAL SCA SEAS CRITERIA. .GYX ME...SCA FOR SEAS NH...SCA FOR SEAS.
The radar
The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:56 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
- Flash Flooding in Mississippi, September 4, 2001
- Tornado in Pennsylvania, September 4, 2001
- Tornado in Pennsylvania, September 4, 2001
- Lightning Strike in New York, September 4, 2001
- Lightning Strike in Florida, September 4, 2001
- Lightning Strike in New York, September 4, 2001
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, September 4, 2001
- Funnel Clouds in Texas, September 4, 2001
- Flooding in Alaska, September 4 to 5, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Wind in New Jersey, September 4, 2001
- Flood in South Carolina, September 4, 2001
- Flash Flood in Texas, September 4, 2001
More
Every storm in Maine in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, September 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: 5267637.