Maine, 2002

Strong Wind in Maine, May 13 to 14, 2002

May 13 to 14, 2002 · NWS GYX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Strong, gusty, northwest winds downed limbs onto power lines causing scattered power outages which affected approximately 6000 customers. In Rockland Harbor, a 72-foot scallop dragger broke loose from it's mooring and caused over $10,000 in damage to a marina.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

Strong, gusty, northwest winds downed limbs onto power lines causing scattered power outages which affected approximately 6000 customers. In Rockland Harbor, a 72-foot scallop dragger broke loose from it's mooring and caused over $10,000 in damage to a marina. In Cape Elizabeth, winds uprooted a large willow tree which damaged a house and car. The peak wind gust measured at Portland was 43 mph.

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 May 13, 7:40 PM EST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 7:40 PM EST, 3 hours 20 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
840 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

ZONES...
SFC OBS AND SPOTTER REPORTS CONTINUE TO SHOW A MIX OF RAIN... SLEET
AND SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.  WILL CONTINUE WITH UP TO 4
INCHES OF SNOW IN HIGHER TERRAIN IN MTN ZONES AND WILL UPDATE
FOOTHILLS TO UP TO 2 INCHES HIGHER TERRAIN.  PRECIP SHOULD BECOME
LIGHTER FROM WEST TO EAST AS DRIER AIR PUSHES EASTWARD FROM NH AND
MIX IN FOOTHILLS WILL GRADUALLY CHANGE BACK TO RAIN.

WILL LOWER FCST MINS AS SFC RIDGE NOSES SOUTHEASTWARD AND NE WINDS
CONTINUE TO PUSH COLD AIR INTO AREA.  TEMPS CURRENTLY BELOW FCST
MINS SOME AREAS.

CWF...
GALE WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR TONIGHT. STRONG SURFACE GRADIENT AND
MRPCWN STILL SHOWING GALE FORCE WINDS.

FCSTID = 8

.GYX...
ME...GLW.
NH...GLW.

JENSENIUS

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Coastal Cumberland

When
May 13, 11:00 PM EST to May 14, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Coastal Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Coastal Waldo

When
May 13, 11:00 PM EST to May 14, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Coastal Waldo forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.485, -69.122 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Knox

When
May 13, 11:00 PM EST to May 14, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
44.076, -69.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Lincoln

When
May 13, 11:00 PM EST to May 14, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.998, -69.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Sagadahoc

When
May 13, 11:00 PM EST to May 14, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Sagadahoc forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.912, -69.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maine in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, May 2002

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: 5298472, 5298473, 5298474, 5298475, 5298476.