Jun. 20—Torrential rain and thunderstorms fueled by a third day of extreme heat moved through Maine on Thursday afternoon and evening, knocking out power to thousands and ushering in a cold front that is expected to bring relief from the sweltering conditions.
The storm swept over the whole state and moved offshore by early Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service office in Gray.
Meteorologist Stephen Baron said greater Portland experienced a severe thunderstorm. He said there are reports that the storm brought down trees and power lines in Westbrook, Windham and Gorham.
Roughly 4,000 Versant Power customers and nearly 14,000 Central Maine Power customers, including almost 5,500 in Cumberland County, were without power as of 10 p.m. Thursday. Windham was particularly hard hit and nearly 4,500 of CMP's 10,033 customers in the town were without power Thursday night.
By 7 a.m. Friday, the number of CMP outages had dropped to 1,556 across its coverage area. Versant was reporting 985 customers were without power early Friday.
In Portland, Baron said the torrential downpour also caused some road flooding when the runoff overwhelmed storm drains.
The rain and thunderstorms brought cooler weather, ending a day of record-breaking temperatures in Portland and Augusta.
Baron said that the temperature hit a high of 94 degrees in Portland on Thursday, breaking the previous record for June 20 of 93 degrees set in 2020. In Augusta, the temperature reached 97 degrees, surpassing the record of 95 degrees set in 1953.
"Mild heat waves typically occur every summer or every other summer in Maine," said Sarah Jamison, a hydrologist at the weather service office in Gray. "What sets this one apart is the extreme nature of the heat index. We're looking at heat indexes over 100 degrees. ... We also didn't really have any nighttime relief with this heat wave."
Special Marine Warning including the Coastal Waters from Cape Elizabeth, ME to Merrimack River, MA out 25 NM, Coastal Waters from Port Clyde, ME to Cape Elizabeth, ME out 25 NM, Coastal Waters from Stonington, ME to Port Clyde, ME out 25 NM and Casco Bay until 6:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/cxEqSjRSIn
— NWS Gray (@NWSGray) June 20, 2024
Temperatures Friday through Sunday will be cooler, with highs in the low- to mid-70s in southern Maine, with periods of rain. Conditions are expected to be pleasant with highs around 80 degrees early next week.
Mainers dealt with the sweltering conditions on Thursday as best as possible, going to various cooling centers; swimming in the ocean, lakes or backyard pools; or hunkering down someplace with air conditioning.
Jordan Williams, 40, was flagging for an oil company on Forest Avenue Thursday, sporting a neon vest as he stood in the street under the hot sun, directing traffic away from a construction site.
Williams said he worked as a chef for 20 years, so he was used to the oppressive heat.
"This is average temperature for a kitchen," Williams said, a towel thrown over his shoulder to mop away the sweat.
Timothy Mcninch, 63, was on break while flagging for the state's Interstate 295 bridge replacement project in Yarmouth. He and his partner took turns standing on the road, a "Slow" sign in hand.
"It's hot, no other way to put it, staggering hot," Mcninch said. "Even when you're getting a break."
Mcninch has been flagging for five years, and before that he worked portable rock crushers. But he said he hasn't developed a special routine for working hot days.
"Just deal with it," Mcninch said. "Put your sunglasses on and go for it."
Mcninch worked outside on Wednesday, too, and said Thursday felt a little hotter.
"When you're standing on the pavement, 10 degrees one way or the other doesn't make or break it," Mcninch said.
Paul Merrill, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Transportation, said contracted workers were sent home early Thursday at the state's I-295 bridge replacement project in Falmouth because of the heat.
Merrill said as far as department maintenance crews go, no shifts were shortened but some work was rearranged.
He said the department trains crews annually on how to identify potential safety hazards from extreme heat and how to acclimate to the high temperatures, including factors like hydration, medical conditions, heat illness symptoms and first-aid responses.
In times of extreme heat, CMP's outside workers, such as line crews, will "cycle work," with one person working as another cools off.
Workers also are encouraged to drink water and hydrate, and crews spend time in air-conditioned trucks to break up the time they're working outdoors.
Roberto Naver, 89, sat under a tree on Portland's Western Prom Thursday morning, working on a crossword puzzle and trying not to overheat.
"I just keep walking and looking for the shade, you know?" Naver said.
Naver lived in Wisconsin and Colorado before moving to Portland in 2012.
"I grew up in cold weather," he said. "This kind of weather, I don't think anybody likes it. We are used to cold weather."
Extreme heat makes it feel hard to breathe sometimes, he said. "Not only for me, but for a lot of people," he said.
Tim Currier, general manager of Maine Hardware, said they are seeing an "uptick in air conditioner and fan sales, kiddie pools."
"It's been a pretty busy week. We haven't run out of anything yet so that's good," Currier said.
Press Herald Staff Writers Kay Neufeld, Ella Spitz, Nikki Harris and Stephen Singer, and Sun Journal Staff Writer Lena LaPierre contributed to this report.
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