A slow moving cold front moved from west to east across Maine on the evening of the 24th into the early morning of the 25th, bringing around an inch of rainfall to most of the area. The same frontal boundary lifted back into the state during the early morning hours of the 26th.
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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 GYX wrote it up.
A slow moving cold front moved from west to east across Maine on the evening of the 24th into the early morning of the 25th, bringing around an inch of rainfall to most of the area. The same frontal boundary lifted back into the state during the early morning hours of the 26th. The warm moist air returned and training showers and thunderstorms lingered over Mid-coast into central Maine. Rainfall rates increased to around 1.5 inches per hour and lingered for 2 to 3 hours. The total rainfall amounts were upwards of 5 to 6 inches between midnight and dawn. Localized flash flooding was reported.
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 26, 2:32 AM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Gray ME 332 AM EDT Sun Sep 26 2021 .SYNOPSIS... The round of moderate to heavy rain this morning will taper after noon mainly across SW and central Maine. Cooler, more seasonal conditions are expected Monday through the middle of the week. Cloudy conditions and the chance for scattered showers continue mid-week as a upper level low drifts over the area. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... Most of the weather will be happening in the very early part of the period today. Surface trof remains draped across Wrn ME and has been the focus of scattered showers and a few thunderstorms most of the night. For the most part things have been quite shallow with warm cloud tops. Despite that briefly heavy rain has resulted at times...with between 1 and 2 inches in an hour from near Brunswick to Augusta. As the larger upper trof becomes negatively tilted and right entrance region of the upper jet impinges on the area...the forcing for ascent is increasing. Convection is also blossoming in coverage and intensity as a result. Dual-pol indicating rainfall rates increasing to 2 to 4 inches per hour...and this has been observed so far with the first batch of showers that crossed Cape Elizabeth. Much more of this activity is lining up from Jeffreys Ledge to just E of Casco Bay. With the surface trof more or less stationary until the upper trof kicks it E...some flash flooding will be possible along its axis. Rain will quickly clear from W to E around midday as the upper trof swings Ewd. Breezy NW winds and clearing skies are expected this afternoon. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY/... With active weather in the near term the forecast for tonight and Mon is pretty close to the multi-model consensus blend. General trofiness remains dominant with cyclonic flow aloft and upslope clouds and showers possible. A trailing S/WV trof will approaching the area Mon and will likely increase the coverage of showers across the local area. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... Cut off low pressure over central Quebec will drift southward through the long term, bringing a cooling trend through the week. Some embedded shortwave activity is anticipated to bring showers to the region Mon night and Tuesday. The front is weak, losing much of its concentrated moisture over the higher western mtns. The front continues south Tues afternoon, becoming stationary as weak low pres runs through southern New England. This will bring the slight chance of showers to mainly southern NH and ME. Did not improve upon PoPs from previous shift as dry low levels may inhibit much QPF at the surface. While mid level lapse rates ride around 6.5/6.8, cloud cover means that low lapse rates will remain fairly stable to stave off mention of convective elements. As the low exits, conditions will remain dry Tues night and Wednesday. The upper low drifts overhead Thursday into the weekend, bringing the chance for showers under its unstable and cloudy airmass. The best chance for showers would be during the afternoons in line with daytime heating, as well as in line with flow around the low. This puts focus on Thurs, Sat, and Sun. Admittedly, guidance can struggle with these lows and any embedded shortwaves, so confidence is lower on timing and areal coverage at this time. Cooling trend begins early this week, with daytime highs trickling in the lower to mid 60s, and overnight lows from the upper 30s in the western mtns to mid 40s in the coastal plain and southern NH. Will need to watch for nights with clearing skies for improved rad cooling as flow will generally be calm at the sfc later this week. && .AVIATION /07Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Short Term...Onshore flow ahead of the upper trof is leading to widespread LIFR CIGs. There is some patchy dense fog in the Merrimack and CT River Valleys...along with Midcoast ME. Fog will persist in the CT River Valley and LEB/HIE thru sunrise...while I expect the fog to lift at CON and MHT as Wly flow increases before dawn. Midcoast fog at RKD will scatter out after sunrise as well. Locally heavy RA possible E of PWM...along with some embedded TSRA but confidence is too low to include in the TAF. Conditions will quickly improve to VFR as RA moves out between midmorning and noon. Scattered MVFR CIGs are possible N of the White Mtns and may impact HIE thru Mon. Long Term...VFR expected Mon night outside of the NH mountains where IFR will be possible early at KHIE and KLEB. VFR improvement is expected by Tue morning, continuing into Wed. Some SHRA possible Thursday with MVFR cigs and breezy N winds. && .MARINE... Short Term...Winds and seas will increase today. While winds should generally stay below 25 kt...seas will build to 5 or 6 ft outside of the bays and SCA remains in effect. Seas will gradually diminish by late Mon. Long Term...Below SCA conditions expected through Thursday. A cold front will pass over the waters Tuesday morning with low pressure exiting the southern New England coast. && .HYDROLOGY... Surface trof remains the focus of heavy rainfall this morning. The approach of upper trof and associated jet will lead to increasing rainfall intensity thru daybreak. Rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour are anticipated and some localized flash flooding may result. && .GYX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ME...None. NH...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 5 PM EDT Monday for ANZ150-152-154. && NEAR TERM...Legro SHORT TERM...Legro LONG TERM...Cornwell AVIATION...Cornwell/Legro MARINE...Cornwell/Legro HYDROLOGY...Legro
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Gray ME 333 AM EDT Sun Sep 26 2021 MEZ013-014-019>028-NHZ014-270745- Southern Franklin-Southern Somerset-Central Interior Cumberland- Androscoggin-Kennebec-Interior Waldo-Coastal York-Coastal Cumberland- Sagadahoc-Lincoln-Knox-Coastal Waldo-Coastal Rockingham- 333 AM EDT Sun Sep 26 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Maine, south central Maine, southwest Maine, western Maine and southern New Hampshire. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Bands of heavy showers with isolated thunderstorms are expected through the morning. 1 to 3 inches of rain will be possible in spots and could lead to localized flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. MEZ007>009-012-018-033-NHZ001>013-015-270745- Northern Oxford-Northern Franklin-Central Somerset-Southern Oxford- Interior York-Interior Cumberland Highlands-Northern Coos- Southern Coos-Northern Grafton-Northern Carroll-Southern Grafton- Southern Carroll-Sullivan-Merrimack-Belknap-Strafford-Cheshire- Eastern Hillsborough-Interior Rockingham- Western And Central Hillsborough- 333 AM EDT Sun Sep 26 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southwest Maine, west central Maine, western Maine, New Hampshire, central New Hampshire, northern New Hampshire and southern New Hampshire. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. ANZ150>154-270745- Coastal Waters from Stonington, ME to Port Clyde, ME out 25 NM- Penobscot Bay- Coastal Waters from Port Clyde, ME to Cape Elizabeth, ME out 25 NM- Casco Bay- Coastal Waters from Cape Elizabeth, ME to Merrimack River, MA out 25 NM- 333 AM EDT Sun Sep 26 2021 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...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:39 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Pittston's public works department reported a washout on Palmer Brook road. Flash flooding caused an overwhelmed culvert to undermine the roadway and take out both lanes.
Cooper Rd is closed due to flooding from Hunts Meadow Rd. to Devine Rd in Whitefield, ME.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maine in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Maine, September 2021
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: 976516, 986974.