Maine, 2015

Coastal Flood in Maine, April 20 to 21, 2015

April 20 to 21, 2015 · NWS GYX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Low pressure rapidly intensified on the 20th of April over the Great Lakes as a secondary area of low pressure developed along the New England coastline. Gale force easterly winds over the coastal waters allowed for nearshore waves to build to nearly 15 feet.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
$160,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 rapidly intensified on the 20th of April over the Great Lakes as a secondary area of low pressure developed along the New England coastline. Gale force easterly winds over the coastal waters allowed for nearshore waves to build to nearly 15 feet. High astronomical tides coincided with a storm surge of around a foot to produce coastal flooding and minor to moderate splash-over and beach erosion near the time of high tide.

The tide was above flood stage for nearly an hour at the Portland tide gage. Minor flooding occurred along the pier in Portland and along Granite Point Road in Biddeford. Flooding also occurred in Bath along lower Washington Street near the Kennebec Tavern. Moderate splash-over occurred at Long Beach in York and along Wells Beach where waves over-topped utility poles causing transformers to repeatedly spark.

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 Apr 20, 9:33 PM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 9:33 PM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 20, 9:35 PM EST, 1 hour 25 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

3 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Coastal Flood, Coastal York

When
April 20, 11:00 PM EST to April 21, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Coastal York forecast zone
Property damage
$125,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Intense low pressure produced gale force winds which combined with high astronomical tides to produce moderate splash-over at Long Beach in York. Waves in Wells Beach over-topped utility poles causing transformers to repeatedly spark. Minor flooding was also reported along Granite Point Road in Biddeford.

Coastal Flood, Coastal Cumberland

When
April 20, 11:00 PM EST to April 21, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Coastal Cumberland forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Intense low pressure produced gale force winds which combined with high astronomical tides to produce coastal flooding along the pier in Portland.

Coastal Flood, Sagadahoc

When
April 20, 11:00 PM EST to April 21, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Sagadahoc forecast zone
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.912, -69.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Intense low pressure produced gale force winds which combined with high astronomical tides to produce flooding along lower Washington Street near the Kennebec Tavern in Bath.

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 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, April 2015

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: 573510, 573511, 573512.