Tornadoes · United States · Maine · 2013
EF0 tornado, Wyman Dam, Maine, June 2, 2013
This EF0 tornado ran 0.0 miles across Somerset County on June 2, 2013, touching down at 4:36 PM EDT and reaching 40 yards wide. It killed nobody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF0
- Date
- June 2, 2013
- Touchdown
- 4:36 PM EDT (20:36 UTC)
- Lifted
- 4:37 PM EDT (20:37 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.0 miles (0.0 km)
- Path width
- 40 yards (37 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Somerset County
- Touchdown point
- 45.065, -69.947
- Lift-off point
- 45.065, -69.947
- Record number
- 1306021436-01
What the Weather Service recorded
An approaching cold front combined with strong wind fields and high CAPES over the region resulting in a widespread severe thunderstorm outbreak during the afternoon and evening hours of June 2nd. These storms produced mainly wind damage with isolated reports of large hail and some flash flooding. A weak tornado touched down in Pleasant Ridge Plantation.
A very weak tornado touched down near Pleasant Ridge Road in Pleasant Ridge Plantation. Maximum wind gusts were estimated at between 50 and 60 mph. Damage from the tornado was in a small area estimated to have a path length of 50-60 yards with a width of 40 yards. Damage was limited to about a dozen snapped or uprooted trees.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
23 minutes of warning. NWS GYX issued a tornado warning for this county at 20:13 UTC, 23 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 20:45 UTC.
The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 15:34 UTC and running to 22:32 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15:34 UTC | 22:32 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | GYX |
| 16:48 UTC | 17:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAR |
| 17:32 UTC | 18:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAR |
| 17:36 UTC | 18:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GYX |
| 18:01 UTC | 21:00 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | GYX |
| 18:09 UTC | 18:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GYX |
| 18:34 UTC | 19:14 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAR |
| 20:05 UTC | 20:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GYX |
| 20:13 UTC | 20:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | GYX |
| 20:22 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | GYX |
| 20:40 UTC | 20:56 UTC | Tornado Warning | GYX |
| 20:45 UTC | 21:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GYX |
| 20:50 UTC | 21:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GYX |
| 21:00 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | GYX |
| 21:23 UTC | 22:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GYX |
| 21:35 UTC | 23:47 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | CAR |
| 23:16 UTC | 03:15 UTC | Flood Warning | GYX |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:30 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Gray, ME (KGYX), 12:00Z
8.6 hours before the tornado, 133 km from the path. June 2, 2013.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 462 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -121 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 831 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1196 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 22 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 38 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 95 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.4 K/km
Gray, ME (KGYX), 00:00Z
3.4 hours after it, 133 km from the path. June 3, 2013.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 86 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -123 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 100 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1027 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 30 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 1 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 1 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- -0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.1
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.0 K/km
The surface observations
Greenville (GNR), 52 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:56 UTC | 70 | 67 | 4 kt | 1005.8 | ||
| 19:56 UTC | 74 | 66 | 0° 0 kt | 1004.1 | ||
| 20:56 UTC | 73 | 68 | 130° 4 kt | 1004.1 | ||
| 21:56 UTC | 70 | 65 | 230° 9 kt | 24 | 1005.4 |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Portland,ME radar (KGYX), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 20:36 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 N Bingham | Somerset, ME | LARGE BRANCHES DOWN NEAR 201. |
| 18:45 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Greenville | Piscataquis, ME | TREES DOWN ON A CABIN. SOME ROOF DAMAGE TO THE CABIN. TIME IS ESTIMATED. |
| 19:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Nw Phillips | Franklin, ME | LARGE BRANCHES DOWN NEAR RTE 4. |
| 20:32 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Bingham | Somerset, ME | TREE DOWN ACROSS RTE 201 AND ROAD IS IMPASSIBLE |
| 20:36 UTC | TORNADO | 2 W Bingham Wyman Dam | Somerset, ME | |
| 21:00 UTC | HAIL 0.25 | 1 Se Salem | Franklin, ME | |
| 21:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | New Portland | Somerset, ME | TREE DOWN AND PERSON TRAPPED IN CAR ON LONG FALLS DAM ROAD |
| 21:12 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | New Portland | Somerset, ME | SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN NEW PORTLAND |
| 21:15 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | New Portland | Somerset, ME | MILL ROAD HAS SEVERAL TREES DOWN AND THE ROAD IS IMPASSABLE |
| 21:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 N Solon | Somerset, ME | AT LEAST 50 TREES DOWN ON FARM NORTH OF SOLON. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. |
| 21:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Embden | Somerset, ME | DUNBAR HILL ROAD AND CROSSTOWN ROAD HAS TREES DOWN |
| 21:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Solon | Somerset, ME | SOUTH SOLON RD THERE IS A TREE DOWN WITH BROKEN POLE |
| 21:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Ne Solon | Somerset, ME | MICROBURST SNAPPED OR UPROOTED SEVERAL HUNDRED TREES. |
| 21:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Anson | Somerset, ME | TREES ON WIRES AT 4 QUARE RD IN ANSON |
| 21:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Bingham | Somerset, ME | TREES AND WIRES DOWN ON OWEN ST IN BINGHAM |
| 21:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Harmony | Somerset, ME | HARMONY HAD NUMEROUS 6-8 INCH DIAMETER TREES SNAPPED |
| 21:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Madison | Somerset, ME | JONES ST IN MADISON TREES AND WIRES ON VEHICLE |
| 21:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | North Anson | Somerset, ME | HOLE IN THE WALL ROAD HAS A TREE BLOCKING IT |
| 21:30 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 4 N Kingfield | Franklin, ME | A FOOT OF RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER OVER ROUTE 27. EATING AWAY AT THE BANKS. |
| 21:32 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Bingham | Somerset, ME | TREE AND WIRE DOWN ON OAK ST |
| 21:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Brighton | Somerset, ME | TWO POWER POLES DOWN AND ON FIRE ON MAYFIELD ROAD |
| 21:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Madison | Somerset, ME | EAST MADISON ROAD IS CLOSED WITH MANY TREES DOWN |
| 21:36 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Brighton | Somerset, ME | TREE AND WIRE DOWN ON MAIN STREET |
| 21:44 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Harmony | Somerset, ME | TREE DOWN ON RIPLEY ROAD |
| 21:45 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Canaan | Somerset, ME | TREES AND WIRES DOWN ON HILL ROAD |
| 22:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Dexter | Penobscot, ME | TREES REPORTED DOWN ON A HOUSE AND CAR. |
| 22:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Guilford | Piscataquis, ME | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN TOWN ALONG WITH POWER OUTAGES. TIME IS ESTIMATED. |
| 22:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Palmyra | Somerset, ME | TREE DOWN AND WIRES WITH A FIRE ON RAYMOND ROAD |
| 22:00 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Kingfield | Franklin, ME | WATER OVER BRIDGE ON IRA MOUNTAIN ROAD |
| 22:10 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 7 Ne Kingfield | Somerset, ME | LONG FALLS DAM ROAD WASHED OUT |
| 22:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Ese Dover-Foxcroft | Piscataquis, ME | PISCATAQUIS COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTS TREES AND WIRES DOWN FROM DOVER-FOXCROFT TO SANGERVILLE. |
| 22:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Dover-Foxcroft | Piscataquis, ME | MANY TREES DOWN IN TOWN ALONG WITH POWER OUTAGES. TIME IS ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. |
| 22:45 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Guilford | Piscataquis, ME | STREET FLOODING IN DOVER-FOXCROFT. TIME IS ESTIMATED. |
| 23:00 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Dover-Foxcroft | Piscataquis, ME | STREET FLOODING IN PARTS OF TOWN WITH SOME ROADS WASHED OUT. CULVERTS DAMAGED. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2013 tornado in MaineEvery tornado in Maine since 1950Warnings in force in Maine nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of June 2, 2013
2 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.