Maine has experienced a number of dramatic weather occurrences while being known for its picturesque scenery and calm attitude. Of them, one storm is notable in Maine’s meteorological records for being the most devastating hurricane to ever hit the state.
The Hurricane That Will Never Be Forgotten
Hurricane Edna is the hurricane of note; it hit Maine on September 11, 1954, a mere 10 days after Hurricane Carol. Edna is reported to have cost $25 million in damages, a staggering amount for that time period. The hurricane became Maine’s most devastating hurricane in history after eight drowning deaths were documented.
Hurricane Edna Impact
During the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season, in September, Hurricane Edna struck the United States East Coast, causing immense destruction and fatalities. During its lifetime as a tropical cyclone, it produced significant damage and 29 fatalities. The hurricane hit the Bahamas after first causing floods in Puerto Rico due to rainfall. North Carolina’s shoreline was hit by large waves.
The hurricane caused the most rainy day in New York City in forty-five years and blocked off Montauk from the rest of Long Island. Six people died on the state’s roads, and $1.5 million worth of crops were damaged. In southern New England, there were mass evacuations following Hurricane Carol’s landfall only eleven days earlier. 260,000 people lost electricity for extended periods due to strong winds, including almost the whole population of Cape Cod.
As a result of flooding that destroyed roads and rail lines, Hurricane Edna turned into the most expensive hurricane in Maine’s history. New England saw twenty-one deaths, eight of them from drownings in Maine. Afterward, strong winds in Atlantic Canada seriously harmed crops.
Wind Speed Of Hurricane Edna
Hurricane Edna had winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) for one minute, making it a Category 3 hurricane according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. During September of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season, the hurricane along the US East Coast resulted in extensive damage and casualties.
Other Hurricanes of Note
Although Edna is regarded as the most catastrophic hurricane in Maine’s history, the state has also been affected by other hurricanes. Carol and Edna both made big contributions in 1954. As a Category 3 hurricane that made landfall in Long Island and Connecticut, Carol caused 60 fatalities and $461 million in damages in the United States. She then turned extratropical and moved into New England, including Maine.
With sustained winds of around 80 mph in 1969, Hurricane Gerda made landfall in Eastport as a Category 1 hurricane. Although there haven’t been any direct landfalls by tropical systems in Maine in well than 50 years, the state has nonetheless been significantly impacted by other named storms.
Also, Know How Hurricanes Get Their Names
Hurricanes are named by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 1. Every six years, a list of twenty-one male and female names is rotated from six lists kept by the WMO. The names have been selected to be brief, unique, and instantly identifiable. The North Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Australasia oceans are all included in the lists.
The National Hurricane Center started formally naming storms in 1950, marking the start of the process. Originally, their names were chosen using a phonetic alphabet (Able, Baker, Charlie, and so on); however, in 1953, this approach was abandoned in favor of employing alphabetized maternal names. This was an earlier application of this technique in World War II.
The National Hurricane Center states that tropical storm Alice was the first to be named after a woman in 1953. In late May and early June of that year, Alice made landfall in Florida, Cuba, and Central America. Men’s names began to appear on the storm list in 1978, appearing in succession with female names.
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Conclusion
The history of hurricanes in Maine is a sobering reminder of the might of nature. While direct hurricane strikes may not occur regularly in the state, the effects of major storms can be severe and widespread. Through constant research and comprehension of these powerful weather phenomena, we can improve our readiness for their effects and guarantee the security of every inhabitant.