Coastal Flood and Astronomical Low Tide in Maine, September 22, 2020

Name: Coastal Flood and Astronomical Low Tide in Maine, September 22, 2020
Start: 2020-09-22T14:15
End: 2020-09-22T16:15
Location: Maine

September 22, 2020 · NWS GYX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: $55,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

Hurricane Teddy underwent extra-tropical transition to a strong 951 mb storm well off shore in the Gulf of Maine before moving north north towards Halifax, Nova Scotia. This powerful cyclone coincided with astronomically high tides. Although winds were offshore, large, long period swell entered the Gulf of Maine leading to splash-over along the southern coast of Maine.

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 Sep 22, 10:00 AM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 22, 10:00 AM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 22, 4:36 AM EST, 9 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

1 coastal flood, 1 astronomical low tide. Local standard time, as filed.

Coastal Flood, Coastal York

When: September 22, 2:15 PM EST to 4:15 PM EST
Where: Coastal York forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.429, -70.670 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The astronomical tide in Portland of 10.8 feet combined with a storm surge of 1.3 feet at high tide to reach a 12.1 foot storm tide during the mid afternoon hours. Flood stage in Portland is 12.0 feet (MLLW). Although winds were offshore, large, long period swell entered the Gulf of Maine leading to splash-over along the coast of southern Maine with nearshore waves up to 10 feet every 16 seconds. waves and debris splashed onto Webhanett Road in Wells, crashing over the tops of cars at its peak. Significant splash-over also occurred along Gooch’s and Kennebunk Beaches in Kennebunk.

Astronomical Low Tide, Coastal Cumberland

When: September 22, 2:45 PM EST to 4:12 PM EST
Where: Coastal Cumberland forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.806, -70.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The astronomical tide in Portland of 10.8 feet combined with a storm surge of 1.3 feet at high tide to reach a 12.1 foot storm tide during the mid afternoon hours. Flood stage in Portland is 12.0 feet (MLLW). The tide remained above flood stage for 30 minutes at the Portland tide gage. The waves took down a fence at Higgin’s Beach in Scarborough with minor flooding reported along the wharf streets in Portland.

What these are

Coastal Flood: Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.
Astronomical Low Tide: Unusually low water from tides and offshore wind that caused impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Maine in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Maine, September 2020

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 922415, 922414.