Severe thunderstorms developed across Aroostook County along a nearly stationary frontal boundary. The storms developed during the late afternoon and continued into the evening.
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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 developed across Aroostook County along a nearly stationary frontal boundary. The storms developed during the late afternoon and continued into the evening. The storms primarily produced damaging winds...though two weak tornadoes also occurred. Heavy rain from training thunderstorms produced localized flash flooding in the Fort Kent area.
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 Jun 8, 12:43 PM EST, 4 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 143 PM EDT WED JUN 8 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A STATIONARY FRONT OVER NORTH CENTRAL MAINE WILL LIFT SLOWLY BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT LATE THIS AFTERNOON. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH ON THURSDAY AND CROSS THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT...FOLLOWED BY STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... UPDATE 1PM...PUSHED BACK THUNDERSTORMS TO AFTER 21Z FOR NORTHERN MAINE WITH ENHANCED WORDING. IMPRESSIVE ELEVATED CAPE IN NORTHERN ZONES ABOVE INVERSION THIS EVENING WITH LLJ OVER 40KTS. EXPECT FOG TO FOLLOW THE SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. AREA OF FOG AND STRATUS STREAMING NORTH TOWARDS PENOBSCOT BAY. EXPECT IT REACH AREA THIS EVENING AND PRODUCE AREAS OF FOG FOR DOWN EAST ZONES...ESPECIALLY THE COAST...TONIGHT. UPDATE 10AM...CONTINUED ENHANCED WORDING IN NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA FOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND WELL INTO THE NIGHT. REMNANTS OF LARGE MCS COMPLEX OVER QUEBEC AND ONTARIO WILL SAG SOUTHWARD AND AFFECT NORTHERN ZONES. CONCERNED ABOUT SOME ROBUST NOCTURNAL CONVECTION FOR THESE NORTHERN ZONES. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO INCREASE WITH DEWPOINTS OVER 60F MOVING INTO THE AREA AND INCREASING TOWARDS MID 60S LATE AFTERNOON. H850 THERMAL RIDGE MOVES IN AS DAY PROGRESSES...AND H850 MOISTURE WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE LATE DAY. ADDED SCT TSTMS FOR DOWN EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT WITHOUT ENHANCED WORDING FOR WINDS OR HAIL. UPDATE...TWEAKED SKY GRIDS A LITTLE BASED ON SATELLITE SHOWING CLOUDS FROM THE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX INCREASING TO OUR WEST. OTHERWISE...JUST SOME MINOR TWEAKS TO HOURLY TEMPS/DEW POINTS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION THE MAIN CONCERN TODAY WILL BE WITH REGARD TO CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL. A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION TODAY WITH A WARMER AND MORE HUMID AIR MASS OVERSPREADING THE REGION. ML CAPES INCREASE TO BETWEEN 1000 AND 2000J/KG ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA AWAY FROM THE COAST BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS COULD SET THE STAGE FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN THE INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE AIR MASS AS THE WARM FRONT MOVES NORTHEAST. WE ARE ALSO WATCHING THE LARGE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX THAT IS ENTERING THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF QUEBEC PROVINCE EARLY THIS MORNING. EXTRAPOLATION BRINGS THIS FEATURE TO THE WESTERN MAINE/QUEBEC BORDER BY LATE MORNING. HAVE MENTIONED GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL FOR TODAY AS THERE IS SOME SHEAR AND STEEPING MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES. WE ALSO NOTE THAT SPC HAS MOST OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MAINE IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND HAVE INCLUDED THE MENTION IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK AS WELL. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE LOW TO MID 80S ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION AWAY FROM THE COAST. EXPECT CONVECTION TO LINGER INTO THIS EVENING AS THE WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHEAST. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT ARE ONLY EXPECTED TO FALL INTO THE LOW TO MID 60S AND COMBINED WITH DEW POINTS AROUND 60 WILL MAKE FOR A RATHER MUGGY NIGHT WITH SOME PATCHY FOG DEVELOPING. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... LOW PRES EXPECTED TO BE CENTERED JUST NNW OF THE FA THU AM W/ AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE WARM FRONT JUST E AND NE OF THE FA AND A STRONG COLD FRONT NE-SW ACROSS SOUTHERN QUEBEC BACK INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES... THIS SHOULD PLACE MUCH OF THE FA IN A VERY WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS W/ SURFACE TDS FCST TO BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S MOST LOCATIONS TO START THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. THIS SCENARIO ALSO SUGGESTS A STRONG POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION... FIRST ACROSS THE NW HALF OF THE FA THU AM INTO EARLY AFTERNOON AND THEN ACROSS THE SE HALF OF THE FA FROM LATE THU AM THRU THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS... EXPECT LEFT OVER CONVECTION FROM THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TO FIRE UP QUICKLY THU AM ACROSS THE N AND W AS THE STRONG COLD FRONT INTERACTS W/ VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS (MODEL FCST SBCAPES IN THE 1500-2000 J/KG RANGE ACROSS THIS AREA. WITH PLENTY OF SHEAR...STRONG FORCING AND INSTABILITY...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS BY MID AM ACROSS THESE AREAS. FOCUS FOR THE STRONGEST STORMS SHOULD THEN SHIFT TO AREAS FURTHER E AND SE BY LATE AM/EARLY AFTERNOON W/ SBCAPES FCST TO JUMP TO AOA 3000 J/KG THESE AREAS. SPC HAS THE ENTIRE FA IN SLIGHT RISK FOR THU AND THIS LOOKS REASONABLE... HAVE ADDED ENHANCED WORDING FOR STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL BEGINNING MID AM THU... AM CONVECTION WILL KEEP HIGH TEMPS COOLEST ACROSS FAR NW AREAS ON THU BUT FURTHER S AND SE...POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR DAYTIME HIGHS TO REACH CLOSE TO 90 F. THE STRONG COLD FRONT IS FCST TO PUSH SE OF THE AREA THU EVE W/ SHOWERS/TSTMS QUICKLY ENDING. A LARGE CANADIAN HIGH PRES SYSTEM CENTERED OVER CENTRAL CANADA IS THEN EXPECTED TO BEGIN BUILDING SE INTO THE FA W/ MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIR FCST TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATER THU NIGHT THRU FRI... TEMPS LIKELY TO STRUGGLE TO REACH THE MID 60S ACROSS THE FAR NW ON FRI... && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... CANADIAN HIGH PRES SHOULD KEEP COOL AND DRY CONDS IN PLACE THRU SAT... THEREAFTER...PICTURE BECOMES LESS CLEAR AS MODELS TRY TO BRING AN AREA OF LOW PRES E FROM THE GREAT LAKES TOWARD THE AREA ON SUN BUT WEAKEN THE SYSTEM AS A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRES REMAINS ANCHORED FROM THE N THRU E OF THE AREA. EACH DAY THE MODELS HAVE BROUGHT A LITTLE MORE MOISTURE INTO THE AREA AND THAT TREND CONTS THIS AM SO WILL BUY OFF ON THIS SCENARIO AND INTRODUCE LOW CHC POPS ACROSS THE FA BY LATE SUN. THIS SYSTEM IS STILL ADVERTISED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES EWRD W/ MUCH OF THE ENERGY BEING SHUNTED S OF THE AREA AS THAT RIDGE OF HIGH PRES N AND E OF THE AREA HANGS ON. REGARDLESS...APPEARS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT UNSETTLED CONDS W/ THE THREAT OF PRECIP FROM LATER SUN INTO TUE ATTM. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... NEAR TERM: A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT SLOWLY NORTHEAST ACROSS THE TERMINALS THROUGH TONIGHT WITH AIR MASS BECOMING INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE. THIS COULD LEAD TO TSTMS DEVELOPING LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. ALSO...A RATHER LARGE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WAS HEADING EAST FROM QUEBEC PROVINCE AND SHOULD REACH NORTHERN MAINE BY LATE MORNING. MAINLY VFR IS EXPECTED THIS MORNING ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME PATCHY FOG/LOW CLOUDS BRINGING BRIEF MVFR CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY KBGR/KBHB THRU 12Z. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED MOST OF TODAY. HAVE MENTIONED VCTS ALL TERMINALS LATER TODAY MAINLY AFT 20Z. AVIATION INTERESTS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST TAF FORECASTS FOR MORE SPECIFIC TS TIMING. THERE WILL ALSO BE THE POSSIBILITY OF SUB VFR IN ANY HEAVIER TSTM ACTIVITY. SHORT TERM: VFR IS EXPECTED W/ PERIODS OF MVFR TO IFR IN ANY SHOWERS AND TSTMS THU INTO THU EVE. VFR SHOULD THEN PREVAIL INTO SUN W/ POSSIBLE MVFR TO IFR IN LIGHT RAIN OR SHOWERS BY LATE SUN... && .MARINE... UPDATE: REMOVED FOG FROM FORECAST UNTIL THIS EVENING. EXPECT FOG TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WATERS THIS EVENING AND LINGER INTO THURSDAY. NEAR TERM: WIND/SEA ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SCA LEVEL THROUGH TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH WINDS/SEAS COULD BE LOCALLY HIGHER IN ANY THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. IN ADDITION...AREAS OF FOG WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO A MILE OR LESS SHORT TERM: FOG WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN OVER THE WATERS ON THU AS A WARM AND MOIST S TO SW FLOW PERSISTS INTO THU EVE. TSTMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THU AFTERNOON INTO THU EVE W/ WINDS AND WAVES OUTSIDE OF ANY TSTMS EXPECTED TO REMAIN BLO SCA LEVELS. && .CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...DUDA/MCW SHORT TERM...KHW LONG TERM...KHW AVIATION...DUDA/MCW MARINE...DUDA/MCW/KHW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 344 PM EDT WED JUN 8 2011 MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-091945- 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- 344 PM EDT WED JUN 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL MAINE...NORTH CENTRAL MAINE...NORTHERN MAINE...SOUTHEAST MAINE AND WEST CENTRAL MAINE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING COULD CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. HAIL IS POSSIBLE IN ANY OF THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THURSDAY. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANZ050>052-091945- 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- 344 PM EDT WED JUN 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HEWITT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 508 PM EDT WED JUN 8 2011 MEZ001-002-090015- NORTHWEST AROOSTOOK-NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALLAGASH...CLAYTON LAKE...MADAWASKA... FORT KENT...FRENCHVILLE...PRESQUE ISLE...CARIBOU...VAN BUREN... MARS HILL 508 PM EDT WED JUN 8 2011 ...A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY OF NORTHERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING... AT 505 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE SAINT JON RIVER VALLEY OF NORTHERN AROOSTOOK MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THROUGH 615 PM EDT....THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT FORT KENT...FRENCHVILLE...MADAWASKA...LILLE AND PERHAPS VAN BUREN. WIND GUSTS LOCALLY UP TO 45 MPH...HAIL UP TO A THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN SIZE...HEAVY DOWNPOURS UP TO AN INCH PER HOUR AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED DURING THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. IF OUTDOORS...TAKE COVER IN A STURDY SHELTER IF A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES YOUR AREA. VJN
The Caribou radar (KCBW), 138 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:54 UTC.
15 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were toppled around Soldier Pond by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
An EF0 tornado snapped or uprooted numerous trees along an intermittent path. The tornado initially touched down around 1 mile east-southeast of Little Madawaska Lake. The tornado was embedded within an area of damaging straight line winds...intermittently touching down along its path. The final touch down point was around 4 miles west-northwest of Loring Air Force Base. Most of the damage along the path was uprooted or snapped trees. However...the tornado destroyed an older barn (DI 1, DOD 5) and damaged several farm outbuildings on the Brissette Road. Several other outbuildings were damaged or destroyed at various points along the path. Several homes (DI 2, DOD 2) received damage to shingles and siding. Damage along the path was due to a combination of straight line winds and the intermittent tornado touchdowns.
Trees and power lines were toppled by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Numerous trees were uprooted by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Several large trees were uprooted by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Numerous trees were toppled around the Loring Air Force Base by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Numerous trees and power lines were toppled along Albair Road by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Thunderstorms with very heavy rain produced 2.00 to 4.00 inches of rain in a short time producing flash flooding in Fort Kent. Water depths up to 2 feet were reported on Main Street at the height of the flooding.
Numerous trees and power lines were toppled around Ashland by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Thunderstorms with very heavy rain produced 2.00 to 4.00 inches of rain in a short time producing flash flooding. The flash flooding damaged or destroyed several culverts on the North Perley Brook Road...with portions of the road also washed out.
A garage was blown on to Plante Road by wind gusts estimated at 80 mph.
An EF0 tornado briefly touched down damaging trees.
Trees were toppled along Route 163 by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Numerous trees were toppled in Caribou by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Numerous trees and power lines were toppled on Madawaska Road by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Trees were toppled on Bowls Road by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Trees and power lines were toppled around Limestone by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Trees were toppled in Mapleton by wind gusts estimated at 70 mph.
Numerous trees were toppled by wind gusts estimated at 70 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 historyThe tornado archive for Maine, 2011Warnings in Maine, June 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: 323029, 323044, 323432, 323435, 323437, 323443, 323447, 323453, 324680, 324687, 324688, 324696, 324700, 324703, 324705, 324708, 324709, 324713, 324715.