When Was the Last Time a Tornado Touched Down in Maine?

One of the best things about living in New England is the relatively low number of serious weather events the region sees.

Sure, we see a few nor'easters every winter and a hurricane every few years, but unlike the South or Midwest, we aren't a constant target for dangerous weather.

When I was a kid, I don't remember Maine ever getting hit with a tornado.

However, we do occasionally get hit with nasty weather.  For example, in 2023, New England got spanked by a hurricane and a tropical storm.

What about tornados?

When was the last time a tornado touched down in Maine?

We wanted to know the answer, so we did some digging.

According to a WABI article, the last time that a tornado touched down in Maine was in July of 2020.

The EF0 tornado touched down near the Oxford County town of Hiram at 3:30 PM on July 11.  That tornado, which had maximum wind speeds of around 80 MPH, caused a lot of tree damage, but did not do much to buildings in the town.  There were no serious injuries from the event.

The 2020 event was not the only time in recent history that area had been hit by a tornado.

During the summer of 2017, a tornado tore its way through Western Maine.  While that event did not cause any serious injuries, it did damage buildings and down numerous trees, requiring the closure of several main roads.

According to WGME,  there were a total of five tornados in Maine in 2017.  Also, between 1950 and 1990, over 70 tornados touched down in Maine.  Most of those weather events were in the southern and western regions of the state.

Have you ever been caught in a tornado?  What happened?  Tell us the story by sending us a message inside our app.