River Levels in Maine and New Hampshire Nearly Breaking All-Time Records

The summer of 2023 is still probably still fresh in your mind as the summer that the Maine and New Hampshire got robbed of the short window of beach days and warm temps, but now we have the recent December storm that caused major catastrophes throughout the northeast to add to the list.

Earlier this year, the National Weather Service ranked this year as the #7 rainiest summer in Portland. After Monday's storm, it's likely Maine and New Hampshire's annual rain totals will be through the roof.

There's a good chance that our drenching summer will eventually be a distant memory in the next few years, but the storm that knocked out power for hundreds of thousands this past Monday and caused floods, road closures, and even fatalities will be talked about for decades to come.

According to WGME, the Androscoggin River in Auburn and the Kennebec River in Augusta's water crest level just reached the 3rd highest in history, only to be beat out by storms in 1987 and 1936. They also reported that the Saco River in Conway, New Hampshire, just hit a #2 record high with a 17.71 ft water crest, only to be beat out by a storm in March of 1979, where the levels were recorded at 19.03 ft.

Here in the Northeast, we are usually hit with the remnants of hurricanes and major storms, making it a safer place to live. But occasionally, we are reminded that we are not bulletproof from major weather events.

Maine has certainly had a year, having to power through some horrific events that we're not used to up in these parts. It's a good thing we're rugged and always power through. Who's ready for 2024? I know I am.