Maine, 2005

Flooding in Maine, October 8 to 10, 2005

October 8 to 10, 2005 · NWS CAR · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

particularly across southern areas. Hancock and southern Penobscot counties.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 CAR wrote it up.

Low pressure tracking along a cold front which had stalled across Downeast Maine brought very heavy rain to the region...particularly across southern areas. Rainfall totals over 36 hours generally ranged between 5 and 9 inches across much of Washington...Hancock and southern Penobscot counties. The heaviest rains generally fell across coastal sections of Washington and Hancock counties where rainfall totals of 8 to 9 inches were common. The maximum reported rainfall for the event was 9.50 inches at Deer Isle. Several locations had record daily rainfall totals.The heavy rains affected Acadia National Park where rainfall totals in excess of 7 inches were common. Significant flooding was reported throughout the park with many roads closed and deep standing water in spots. Significant flooding was also reported across much of both Washington and Hancock counties where many smaller rivers ands streams overflowed their banks. Some roads were covered with 2 to 3 feet of water. Reports from Hancock county indicated that almost every town had some degree of road flooding. Across southern Piscataquis county...rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches contributed to flooding of some secondary and low lying roads. Many roads were flooded across the entire region...with some roads and culverts washed out in spots. Numerous basements were also flooded across the region.

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 Caribou, ME wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 8, 9:56 AM EST, 5 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 8, 9:56 AM EST, 5 hours 4 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 8, 4:21 AM EST, 10 hours 39 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Central Piscataquis

When
October 8, 3:00 PM EST to October 10, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Central Piscataquis forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
45.837, -69.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Central Washington

When
October 8, 3:00 PM EST to October 10, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Central Washington forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.467, -70.617

Flood, Coastal Hancock

When
October 8, 3:00 PM EST to October 10, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Coastal Hancock forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
45.333, -67.617

Flood, Coastal Washington

When
October 8, 3:00 PM EST to October 10, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Coastal Washington forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Interior Hancock

When
October 8, 3:00 PM EST to October 10, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Interior Hancock forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.563, -68.368 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Northern Washington

When
October 8, 3:00 PM EST to October 10, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Northern Washington forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.970, -67.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Southern Penobscot

When
October 8, 3:00 PM EST to October 10, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Southern Penobscot forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.083, -69.517

Flood, Southern Piscataquis

When
October 8, 3:00 PM EST to October 10, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Southern Piscataquis forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.450, -70.667

What these are

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 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, October 2005

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5476791, 5476792, 5476793, 5476794, 5476795, 5476796, 5476797, 5476798.