A summer rain storm is moving through Maine today, putting flood-prone areas at risk.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning Tuesday morning for several cities and towns in Kennebec, Sagadahoc, Androscoggin, Cumberland and York counties.

The storm is moving through Maine as predicted, said NWS meteorologist Sarah Thunberg, with flooding likely to follow heavy rain by at least an hour or two.

The flash flood warning covers major population centers such as Portland, Lewiston, South Portland, Auburn, Biddeford, Brunswick, Augusta, Westbrook, Bath and Gardiner.

The warning is set to expire at 2 p.m.

Central Maine Power is reporting more than 3,600 outages Tuesday morning, although it was not immediately clear whether the outages were storm related.

In Gray, the town closed its clerk’s office for about 40 minutes when the power went out.

In northern and eastern Maine, Versant Power reported only two outages out of more than 165,700 customers. The cause of the outages was listed as under investigation.

Thunberg said the storm will clear out over most of Maine overnight, with a few lingering showers over the mountains in the morning on Wednesday.

The area has been slammed with heavy rains throughout June and July. Officials in the Lewiston and Auburn areas reported flash flooding more than once over the past two months.

In Oxford County, heavy rains have led to roads being washed out, with some still not being fully repaired.

“It’s been unpleasant,” said Allyson Hill, director of the Oxford County Emergency Management Agency, “We definitely don’t need any more rain.”

Dixfield, Hill said, has borne the brunt of the weather. She said the town has had roads wash out at least three times in June and July.

“That little corner of the county has been hit repeatedly,” she said. “It’s been hard to watch.”

Despite the damage, Hill said roads throughout the county remain open, but in Dixfield some roads have still been reduced to one lane of travel.

Donny Dumont, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said one piece of good news is that major rivers such as the Androscoggin and Kennebec are not expected to rise too high tomorrow. He did say river flooding might happen with smaller headwater rivers, such as up in the mountains. 

“If anyone’s planning on recreating, that’s probably a bigger concern,” he said.

Hill warned that flash flooding is potentially more dangerous, as it’s hard to know exactly when or where it will strike.

“Flash flooding can happen in places where there’s never been flooding before,” she said.

The best advice to anyone wanting to venture out tomorrow, Hill said, is, “If you don’t have to go, don’t.”

If it’s necessary, Hill urged drivers to take their time.

“It’s probably worth it to be a little late, and be safe,” she said.

Both Hill and Dumont warned drivers to avoid water that extends across a roadway.

“You really don’t know what’s under there,” Hill said.

Hill also encouraged the public to keep their smartphones handy, to receive warnings about flooding.

“It’s a really great tool for awareness,” she said.