Maine, 2013

Coastal Flood in Maine, December 15, 2013

December 15, 2013 · NWS GYX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Low pressure intensified as it rapidly moved up the coast during the early morning hours of December 15th. Storm force winds and large nearshore waves topping out at 20 feet coincided with high tide.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$25,000
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.

Low pressure intensified as it rapidly moved up the coast during the early morning hours of December 15th. Storm force winds and large nearshore waves topping out at 20 feet coincided with high tide. Significant erosion and splash-over occurred in Saco, Maine. The water surrounded a community home and closed a street due to flooding.

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 Dec 14, 3:23 PM EST, 17 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 14, 3:23 PM EST, 17 hours 37 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 14, 3:14 PM EST, 17 hours 46 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

1 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Coastal Flood, Coastal York

When
December 15, 9:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Coastal York forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm force winds combined with 20 foot seas to cause coastal flooding at the time of high tide in coastal York County. Significant erosion and splash-over occured in Saco where water surrounded a community home and closed a street.

What these are

Coastal Flood
Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Maine in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, December 2013

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: 490190.