Flood — Aroostook, Maine

2018-04-28 to 2018-04-30 · near Skerry, Aroostook, Maine

Event narrative

River and lake flooding occurred from late April into early May due to run-off from rain and melting of the remaining snowpack. The most significant impacts occurred along the Fish River and lakes across extreme northeast Aroostook county. Homes and other structures were flooded and damaged to varying degrees. Lake ice also contributed to the damage...destroying decks and forcing some buildings off their foundation. Roads were flooded and closed with damage to some roads...culverts and bridges.

Wider weather episode

An above average seasonal snowpack and cold start to April which delayed snow melt contributed to an above average late April snowpack. Rainfall from the last week of April through the first week of May generally ranged from 2.00 to 3.00 inches. This rain...along with melting of the remaining snowpack which released significant amounts of water...contributed to flooding of lakes and rivers across northern Aroostook county. The Fish River at Fort Kent rose above flood stage during the evening of April 29th. The river then crested around a foot above flood stage...at moderate flood stage...from May 3rd into the 4th. The river crested at the second highest level ever on record. The river then slowly fell...dropping below flood stage during the evening of the 7th. Flooding along the Fish River resulted in the closure of roads and bridges. The flooding also impacted homes and camps (seasonal homes) along the river in the Soldier Pond area along with the Fish River chain of lakes. The Saint John River at Fort Kent crested slightly above flood stage early on the 1st. The river fell back slightly below flood stage later on the 1st. However...the river remained near flood stage for several days thereafter. Flood impacts from the Saint John River at Fort Kent were mostly confined to areas along the immediate river including the temporary closing of River Road and the flooding of parks.

Rising lake levels began to cause problems late on April 29th into the 30th with waters starting to encroach on homes and camps located along the lakeshores. Lake levels continued to rise into early May eventually flooding basements and reaching the first floor of some homes. The lakes were still largely ice covered when water levels began to rise. The rising lakes and gusty winds eventually drove ice into some homes and camps. The pressure of the ice collapsed decks...damaged structures and forced some buildings off their foundation. Lake flood damage was reported on Portage Lake...Saint Froid Lake...Eagle Lake...Square Lake...Cross Lake and Long Lake. Some of the most significant impacts occurred around Portage Lake where numerous homes and camps were damaged due to the flooding and ice. On Long Lake...the causeway leading to Pelletier Island was flooded and closed. An estimated 65 buildings...many of them seasonal homes...were impacted to varying degrees by the lake flooding and ice. This event persisted into early May when the majority of the impacts occurred. Saturated ground along with runoff from rain and melting snow also contributed to a creep landslide on the River Road in Caribou which significantly damaged a portion of the road. The included monetary damages represent damage to public infrastructure. A significant portion of this money was related to road damage due to the landslide. Monetary damage to private property with this event is unknown.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (46.6940, -68.7119)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 751888. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.