Several rivers across Maine crested above flood stage Tuesday in the aftermath of a powerful rain and windstorm that toppled trees and powerlines.
The hardest hit areas are Franklin and Oxford counties, where roads washed out following 4-5 inches of rain, said National Weather Service meteorologist Stephen Baron.
In the Oxford County town of Mexico, police say flood waters from the Swift River swept away a vehicle with four people inside on Route 2 about 5 p.m. Monday.
Three got out of the vehicle and two of those people were rescued, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety. The third person and another person in the vehicle were still missing on Tuesday.
“Mexico and the surrounding area has multiple road closures with some residential areas being closed off completely,” public safety wrote in a press release. “Boats are being utilized to aid residents who are trapped and in need of assistance.”
With both Versant Power and Central Maine Power warning of a multiple day event, the Maine Emergency Management Agency is launching drones and helicopters to get a sense of the damage, spokeswoman Vanessa Corson said.
In Franklin County, “Farmington is basically shut down,” she said.
Corson said a bridge was wiped out in Rangeley, 96 roads are closed in Lincoln County and that Mexico is “in rough shape.”
By mid-day, Route 201 along the Kennebec River was closed in at least three places as the river crested.
In Hallowell, water surged up Wharf Street from its normally low-lying area on to Water Street. Just down the road, deep water buried the street, sending water near the door of Hallowell Seafood.
In Farmingdale, some drivers ignored signs that warned of a flooded roadway near Bowman Street, driving through deep water.
In Gardiner along Cobbossee Stream, which feeds the Kennebec, the Arcade Parking lot and nearby Hannaford lot were flooded, drawing onlookers as police worked with tow companies to move a few parked cars.
And in Augusta, police closed the Calumet Bridge at Old Fort Western – one of three spans across the Kennebec in the city – when fast moving water spilled over the banks on both sides and looked more like an ocean than a river.
Corson asked Mainers to listen to local first responders, not to drive around cones or move them if a road is blocked off and to be aware that temperatures are going to drop Wednesday through Friday.
Local warming centers are open and Corson said the MEMA webpage keeps a running list.
Baron said many rivers across the state are “in flood stage,” mentioning the Kennebec River in Hallowell and Augusta in particular.
On Tuesday afternoon, the City of Lewiston issued a partial evacuation order, starting from 1:45 to 5 p.m. and lasting through Wednesday, Dec. 20 at noon. The order concerns a limited number of streets and portions of streets along the Androscoggin River. The order includes:
- Switzerland Road at St. Peter’s Cemetery, 217 Switzerland Road to Gulf Island Avenue
- Tall Pines Drive from North Woods to Strawberry Avenue
- Oxford Street at Cedar Street
- River Street at Oxford Street, Nel Court
- Lincoln Drive
- Lincoln Terrace
- River Road at Ferry Road will have limited access
- Lincoln Street from Cedar Street to South Avenue
By 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Kennebec in Hallowell had flooded the boat launch across from Hallowell Seafood. Drivers cautiously navigated through standing water on Water Street with storm drains full and water continuing to rise.
In addition to dropping heavy rain, wind gusts during the storm hit 70 miles per hour along the coast in places like Kittery and Belmont, Baron said. Inland, gusts hit 55 to 60 mph.
As state offices remained closed Tuesday, workers got into a bucket truck to assess the damage left when the wind destroyed scaffolding that for months has been attached to the Burton M. Cross State Office Building.
Police cordoned off the parking areas around the building to give the crew plenty of room to work.
More than a quarter million electricity customers woke up with no power, according to the state’s two largest utilities, Central Maine Power and Versant.
By 10 a.m., CMP was reporting more than 319,000 people were in the dark, with Kennebec County the hardest hit with nearly 67,000 outages. The utility did not respond right away to a request for comment from Spectrum News, but has posted messages to its customers on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“As the storm exits our area, we anticipate a multi-day restoration effort involving hundreds of crews,” CMP wrote.
As of 10 a.m., Versant still reported more than 95,000 outages, well over half the utility’s 166,598 customers.
“Damage we’ve seen is extensive, exceeding storm Elliot last year,” said Versant Spokesperson Tina Morrill. “Crews will be working in full force today assessing damage and making repairs to bring the most customers on at a time.”
By 3:30 p.m., CMP's outages had dropped below 300,000, with total outages just over 267,000. Kennebec County had the most, at just over 60,000. By the same time, Versant reported just under 80,000 customers still did not have power, with the highest concentration by far in Bangor, at just over 10,000.
Road closures remain in effect throughout the state, with fallen limbs and trees blocking streets.
In some areas, flood waters are still receding, with rivers swollen from both snow melt and unusually high rainfall. In Dover-Foxcroft, The Piscataquis River crested earlier Tuesday morning at 16.55 feet, according to the National Weather Service in Caribou.
The weather service indicated it is the fourth-highest crest for that river since the service began keeping records in 1902. Other rivers cresting at “moderate” or “major” levels include the Kennebec River in Augusta and Hallowell and the Androscoggin River in Rumford, according to the National Weather Service in Gray.
And while awaiting power restoration, many Mainers fired up their generators or looked for other types of heat.
Generators should be used only when they are outdoors and at least 15 feet away from doors, windows and vents, according to the Maine Emergency Management Agency.
The agency warns that electric space heaters should be used only on the floor, that the heaters should be kept away from damp places such as bathrooms and extension cords should be used only when “absolutely necessary.”
When it comes to wood stoves, it’s important to use only seasoned hardwood, make sure smoke alarms are working on every level and use a metal container for ash removal.
Another popular emergency source — kerosene heaters — should only be used when a window is at least slightly open for proper ventilation.
For those hoping to wait it out until the power comes back on, food safety is another important consideration.
A full freezer will keep food safe for 48 hours without power if you don’t open the door, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For the refrigerator, food is safe up to four hours without power if you don’t open the door.
The CDC recommends throwing away all perishable foods in the fridge after four hours, which includes meat, chicken, fish, eggs and leftovers.