Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail occurred across northern Aroostook county during the late afternoon of the 12th. Isolated flash flooding also occurred across portions of the Saint John Valley.
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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.
The episode as NWS CAR wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail occurred across northern Aroostook county during the late afternoon of the 12th. Isolated flash flooding also occurred across portions of the Saint John Valley. The storms developed along a slow moving frontal boundary.
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 Jul 12, 2:49 PM EST, 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 349 PM EDT TUE JUL 12 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY CROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CROSS THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY THEN SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD IN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... WEAK BOUNDARY IS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE NAM INDICATES STRONG CAPE WHILE THE GFS IS NOT INDICATING AS MUCH INSTABILITY. CURRENTLY CONVECTION IS DEVELOPING ALONG THE NORTHERN BORDER BUT SO FAR STORMS ARE NOT VERY STRONG. LATER TONIGHT SECONDARY FRONT MOVES THROUGH WITH MORE SHOWERS. WILL MENTION THUNDER INTO THE EARLY EVENING THE JUST SHOWERS. FOR WIND GRIDS HAVE USED A BLEND OF THE NAM12 AND GMOS. WILL USE THE GMOS FOR TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT. FOR QPF HAVE USED A BLEND OF THE NAM12 AND GFS40. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... MOST MODELS INDICATE A POSITIVELY TILTED UPPER TROF AXIS OVR THE FA AT THE START OF THE SHORT TERM 00Z THU WITH THE VORT MAX JUST SW OF OUR FA...THEN THE UPPER TROF SLOWLY MOVES E OF THE FA OVRNGT WED. WE BEGIN WITH CHC SHWRS ACROSS THE SRN TWO THIRDS OF THE FA WED EVE...SLOWLY DIMINISHING AND SAGGING THE AXIS OF MAX POPS S OF THE FA BY THU MORN. THIS WILL LEAVE PTLY TO MSLY SUNNY SKIES FOR THE FA THU...WITH HI TEMPS RECOVERING ABOUT 5 DEG F WARMER THAN WED...ALTHOUGH STILL A LITTLE BLO AVG THIS TM OF SEASON. THU NGT LOOKS FAIR AS A VERY WEAK S/WV RIDGE CROSSES THE FA FROM NW TO SE. ON FRI...A WEAK S/WV TROF IN THE NW FLOW ALF WILL BRING INCREASING HI/MID CLDS TO THE FA WITH ISOLD SHWRS POSSIBLE SPCLY ACROSS NRN PTNS OF THE FA FRI AFTN INTO ERLY EVE AS LOW TO MID LVL WARM ADVCN ACCOMPANIES THIS FEATURE. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... THE UPPER RIDGE OVR THE GREAT LKS AND ONT PROV CAN WILL BEGIN BUILDING EWRD TOWARD OUR FA LATER FRI NGT INTO SAT AS THE WEAK S/WV AFFECTING THE FA ON FRI MOVES ESE OF THE MARITIMES...PERHAPS BRINGING THE FA THE LONGEST STREAK OF DRY WEATHER WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL THIS WARM SEASON. SKIES SHOULD BECOME MCLR LATE FRI NGT. WITH 925 MB TEMPS REACHING THE LOWER 20S DEG C OVR MUCH OF THE FA BY SAT AFTN... HI TEMPS SAT UNDER MSLY SUNNY SKIES SHOULD REACH WELL INTO THE 80S ACROSS ALL OF THE FA. SUN WILL CONT FAIR AND VERY WARM AS THE SFC HI BUILDS JUST ESE OF CAPE COD...AND 500 MB HTS CONT TO RISE WITH A POSITIVE RIDGE AXIS FROM THE GREAT LKS. ALTHOUGH WE WENT ABV GMOS GUIDANCE FOR BOTH SAT AND SUN...HI TEMPS SPCLY ON SUN COULD BE WARMER THAN WE INDICATE ATTM...WITH MANY LOCATIONS APCHG OR REACHING 90 DEG F. A FAST MOVE S/WV MOVG E FROM N CNTRL CAN WILL RAPIDLY BRING A COLD FRONT TOWARD NW PTNS OF THE FA VERY LATE SUN NGT...WITH THE FRONT CROSSING THE FA DURG THE DAY MON. WE INTRODUCE CHC TSTMS TO THE NW PTN OF THE FA LATE SUN NGT AND CONT THIS ACROSS NE/CNTRL AND THEN DOWNEAST PTNS OF THE FA MON. GIVEN SOMEWHAT LIMITED DEEP RETURN MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEX AHEAD OF THIS FRONT...CVRG OF TSTMS MAY BE LIMITED...BUT THOSE THAT DO FORM SPCLY MON AFTN COULD BE STRONG BASED ON LLVL MOISTURE CNVRG AHEAD OF A MDTLY STRONG COLD FRONT AND STEEPENING MID LVL LAPSE RATES. HI TEMPS MON WILL LIKELY BE FEW DEG F COOLER ACROSS THE N DUE TO CLD CVR...BUT WILL REMAIN CLOSE TO SUN'S HI TEMPS ACROSS DOWNEAST AREAS WHERE BKN-OVC CLDS AND TSTMS ARRIVE LATER IN THE DAY. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... NEAR TERM: MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS AT ALL TAF SITES INTO EARLY TONIGHT. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE BRIEF RESTRICTIONS IF A THUNDERSTORM OCCURS AT AN AIR FIELD. AT BHB...GUIDANCE BRINGS MARINE STRATUS/FOG INLAND WITH SEVERAL HOURS OF LIFR POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. BGR WILL BE ON THE FRINGE OF MARINE STRATUS...SO FOR NOW HAVE JUST GONE WITH MVFR FOG. SOME MVFR CLOUDS ALSO POSSIBLE CAR/PQI EARLY WED ASSOCIATED WITH SECONDARY COLD FRONT. SHORT TO LONG TERM: LOOKS LIKE VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM: HAVE BLENDED THE NAM12 AND GFS40 FOR WIND GRIDS. FOR WAVES: SOUTHERLY FETCH WILL PERSIST UNTIL MID EVENING WHEN WINDS SHIFT. WAVE MODELS CONTINUE TO RUN TOO HIGH WITH WAVE HEIGHTS. THIS STILL APPEARS TO BE RESULT OF COLD SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE PRODUCING INVERSION OVER PORTION OF FETCH IN GULF OF MAINE. WILL INITIALIZE GRIDS WITH SWAN/NAM WHICH APPEARS TO HANDLE WIND FIELD IN GULF OF MAINE THE BEST BUT WILL STILL LOWER WAVE HEIGHTS 1 FOOT. SHORT TO LONG TERM: NO HDLNS ANTICIPATED ATTM...WITH WV HTS APCHG 5 FT OVR OUTER WATERS BY LATE SUN AS LLVL SW WIND FLOW INCREASES AROUND THE SFC E OF CAPE COD. CANNOT RULE OUT SOME MARINE ST AND FOG LATER SUN INTO SUN NGT...BUT GIVEN SOMEWHAT OFFSHORE LLVL WIND TRAJECTORIES AND THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING PDS 9 AND 10 OF THE FCST... WE HELD OFF INDICATING THESE ELEMENTS FOR NOW. WE USED A BLEND OF 12Z OPNL NAM...GFS...CANGEM AND GMOS FOR WINDS AND WENT WITH WW3 FOR WV HTS...XCPT DIMINISHED BY A FOOT OR TWO TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE HI WV BIAS THIS TIME OF SEASON. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...MIGNONE SHORT TERM...VJN LONG TERM...VJN AVIATION...GABRIC MARINE...MIGNONE/VJN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 353 AM EDT TUE JUL 12 2011 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-130800- NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK-NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK-NORTHERN SOMERSET- NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN PENOBSCOT-SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK- CENTRAL PISCATAQUIS-CENTRAL PENOBSCOT-SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT- INTERIOR HANCOCK-CENTRAL WASHINGTON-COASTAL HANCOCK- COASTAL WASHINGTON-SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS-NORTHERN WASHINGTON- 353 AM EDT TUE JUL 12 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE...SOUTHEAST MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANZ050>052-130800- COASTAL WATERS FROM EASTPORT ME TO SCHOODIC POINT ME OUT 25 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT ME TO STONINGTON ME OUT 25 NM- INTRACOASTAL WATERS FROM SCHOODIC POINT ME TO STONINGTON ME- 353 AM EDT TUE JUL 12 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Caribou radar (KCBW), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:58 UTC.
15 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was toppled on to power lines on Main Street in Frenchville by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Numerous trees were toppled and snapped along Route 161 by wind gusts estimated at 65 mph. Portions of Route 161 were blocked due to fallen trees.
Numerous trees were toppled and snapped by wind gusts estimated at 65 mph. The falling trees also brought down power lines.
Trees were toppled on to power lines by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Thunderstorms producing 1.00 to 2.00 inches of rain per hour produced flash flooding. Portions of Cleveland Avenue were washed out due to the flash flooding with the road closed for a time.
Trees were toppled on to power lines by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Thunderstorms producing 1.00 to 2.00 inches of rain per hour produced flash flooding. Portions of Route 162 around Sinclair were washed out and closed to traffic for a time.
Thunderstorms producing 1.00 to 2.00 inches of rain per hour produced flash flooding. Portions of the Beaulieu Road were washed out and closed to traffic for a time.
Trees were toppled along Route 11 by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Thunderstorms producing 1.00 to 2.00 inches of rain per hour produced flash flooding. Portions of Route 1 were washed out around Grand Isle with debris washed across the road in other areas.
A large tree was toppled by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Trees were toppled and snapped along Route 164 between Washburn and Crouseville by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Trees were toppled and snapped along Parsons Road by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
All the flag poles at the Family Christian Center were bent over due to wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
A large tree was toppled on Route 11 by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
A large tree was toppled along Route 1 by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
A large tree was toppled on the Spragueville Road by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
A large tree was toppled on to power lines on the Fort Road by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
A large tree was toppled on the Washburn Road by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maine in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, July 2011
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: 333327, 333328, 333329, 333330, 333333, 333334, 333339, 333342, 333348, 333353, 333361, 333362, 333364, 333368, 333372, 333373, 333374, 333375, 333376, 333377.