Coastal Flood — Coastal York, Maine

2018-03-03 · Coastal York, Maine

Event narrative

On March 2nd the highest astronomical tide of the month occurred in Portland at 11.2 feet. An additional storm surge of 1.9 feet allowed the storm tide to top out at 13.1 feet, which was the eleventh highest tide ever recorded in the Forest City. The Portland Harbor tide gage was over flood stage for a full 152 minutes. Thereafter, storm damage during the period of March 3-5th was mainly driven by high energy, long period swells which topped out at 28 feet at the Western Shelf Buoy, with wave periods around 16 seconds. Some of the most significant beach erosion within the last 30 years was documented by citizen volunteers and government surveys. Beach erosion, splash-over and coastal flooding was widespread and occurred in Scarborough along Pine Point Road and at the Clambake Restaurant. In Portland, water levels reached the doors of J's Oyster Bar, while flood waters greater than two feet covered Marginal Way. Biddeford emergency management officials reported over three feet of water on Granite Point Road for one and a half miles where seven homes where damaged as well as one home at Hills Beach. Boulders used as armor at the top of beaches in Biddeford were moved by powerful waves. Mile Stretch and Fortunes Rocks Roads also suffered significant flooding and erosion damage. In Scarborough, Sawyer Street and Pine Point Road at East Grand Avenue were closed. In Wells, Mile Road, Webhannet Drive, Eldrige Road, Bourne Avenue and Ocean Avenue were closed due to flooding. Two people in the community were rescued from their stalled van in flood waters using a front-end loader. Water flooded and significantly damaged roadways a foot deep in Kennebunkport including Beach Avenue as well as flooding businesses and cars in parking lots reminiscent of the recent January, 2018 coastal flood. In York, a 200 year old shipwreck was unearthed at Short Sands Beach due to severe beach erosion. In the same town, water was up to the Seawall's Bridge deck and the elevated path leading out to the Wiggley Bridge was submerged under a foot of water.

Wider weather episode

Low pressure developed off the New Jersey coast (981mb), on March 2nd before rapidly intensifying well offshore on March 3rd (974mb), producing hurricane force wind gusts in the Gulf of Maine. The storm then tracked in a loop and retrograded back towards the southern New England coastline. This occurred during the highest astronomical tide of the month, leading to moderate coastal flooding from Portland through York and Rockingham counties. As the system moved back offshore and became quasi-stationary, large, long period swells reached the coast for several consecutive tide cycles from March 3rd through the 5th and caused major beach erosion, splash-over, and coastal inundation in local areas along the coast.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 746340. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.