CARIBOU, Maine — Officials at the National Weather Service in Caribou said Wednesday that parts of the state could see another battering of high winds that left thousands without power across Maine on Tuesday.
According to the NWS, forecasters expect northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph Thursday, with some gusts getting up to 45 mph. The advisory will be in effect until 6 p.m. and covers Aroostook, Penobscot, Washington, parts of Hancock, and Somerset counties. Tree limbs could be blown down and scattered power outages may result. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, according to the NWS, especially for high profile vehicles.
On Tuesday, an estimated 80,000 residents across the state lost power due to powerful wind gusts. According to statistics provided by the organization, Frenchville and Winter Harbor saw gusts of 56 mph at times. In Houlton, gusts of 52 mph were recorded, as well as 48 mph gusts in Presque Isle, 45 mph in Fort Kent, and 42 mph in Madawaska.
Scattered power outages were reported in The County due to the storm, which resulted from a frontal system that crossed through the area and brought “pretty strong winds behind it,” said Meteorologist Mal Walker.
Andrea Place of Houlton said that power at her Houlton home flickered “on and off” throughout the day.
“I didn’t read about the impending storm until it was too late,” she said Wednesday. “I still had my screen house up in my backyard and that was totally destroyed by the storm. My neighbor’s lawn furniture blew into our yard as well, and our barbeque grill was toppled over.”
Frank Hogan of Houlton said his garbage cans, which were not secured, blew “halfway down the street.”
“I am hoping that tomorrow is not as bad,” he said. “I would love to look at the leaves on the trees a bit longer.”
Residents are advised to avoid downed power lines, as even lines that appear dead can be deadly, and report outages to power companies.
