PlainHazard

Maine high wind and dust storms

Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 16 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 1,760 high wind and dust records in Maine from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 49 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the December 18, 2023 high wind in Cumberland County: 3 deaths across 3 records. Maine ranks 28th of 52 states and territories by count and 18th of 51 per square mile.

High wind and dust storms in Maine, 1996 to 2026

Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
1,7601996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
49average
Deaths
107 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$5.1Mas filed
Busiest year
1999197 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are high wind and dust records common in Maine?

Maine averages about 49 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 28th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1999 (197). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Maine records 571 high wind and dust records since 1996, 18th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. Rhode Island 7061
  2. 2. New Jersey 4882
  3. 3. Massachusetts 4776
  4. 4. Delaware 3705
  5. 5. Maryland 1330
  6. 6. Connecticut 1301
  7. 7. Vermont 1178
  8. 8. Hawaii 1067
  9. 9. New York 1028
  10. 10. Wyoming 900
  11. 18. Maine 571

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Maine have the most high wind and dust records?

Per square mile, Sagadahoc County leads Maine: 65 days with a high wind record since 1996, 255.9 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Washington County has the most wind records (224 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

  1. Sagadahoc County 255.9 (65)
  2. Knox County 172.7 (63)
  3. Lincoln County 147.0 (68)
  4. Androscoggin County 123.9 (58)
  5. Cumberland County 88.5 (135)
  6. Waldo County 83.5 (112)
  7. Hancock County 78.8 (194)
  8. York County 72.6 (134)
  9. Kennebec County 64.6 (56)
  10. Washington County 50.7 (224)
  11. Franklin County 29.5 (90)
  12. Penobscot County 25.3 (162)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the windy season in Maine?

Maine's high wind and dust records by month. The busiest month is October (368 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 194 · Feb 111 · Mar 181 · Apr 90 · May 49 · Jun 32 · Jul 13 · Aug 6 · Sep 109 · Oct 368 · Nov 294 · Dec 313 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Maine?

Maine: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2023-12-18 High WindCumberland County · forecast zone Central Interior Cumberland One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Low pressure began organizing in the Gulf of Mexico on the 16th, setting record low sea level pressures as it traversed the Southeast through the 17th. Strong high pressure over the North Atlantic created a deep southeasterly flow that drew warm air into New England ahead of the approaching storm. By the time ... 50 kt wind 3 0 –
1999-04-07 Strong WindYork County · forecast zone Coastal York A gust of wind downed a dead tree limb at a York elementary school. The falling limb struck two 8-year-old boys, killing one and injuring the other. Winds were gusting to 32 mph at Sanford at the time of the incident. 1 1 –
2014-10-10 Strong WindAroostook County · forecast zone Southeast Aroostook Winds gusting to around 30 mph and choppy waves capsized a 12 foot aluminum boat on Wytopitlock Lake during the afternoon of the 10th. The two fishermen in the boat were thrown into the water when the boat capsized. One fisherman was able to swim to safety. However...the other fisherman never reached shore and his ... 26 kt wind 1 0 –
1998-12-22 Strong WindAndroscoggin County · forecast zone Androscoggin Strong gusty west to northwesterly winds following the passage of a cold front brought down a few trees and limbs onto utility lines across southern Maine causing scattered outages. Winds gusted to 52 mph in Bangor; 46 mph in Portland, Augusta and Sanford; 43 mph in Bar Harbor; 41 mph in Greenville and Rockland; and ... 1 0 –
2021-03-29 Strong WindFranklin County · forecast zone Southern Franklin Wind gusts estimated to be around 50 mph were impacting the region through the morning hours. An eastern white pine tree snapped at approximately 8:53 AM EST at Knolton Corner Road in North Chesterville. Large tree branches feel on a vehicle passing by with one of them hitting the roof of the driver side. The driver ... 43 kt wind 1 0 –
2003-05-19 Dust DevilEast Lebanon, York County Wind from a large dust devil in the town of Lebanon reportedly lifted the roof of a two-story body shop causing it to collapse. A 51-year-old man was inside the shop at the time and was killed in the incident. 1 0 –
2002-09-11 Strong WindCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland Strong and gusty, northwest winds developed behind a cold front that moved through the area. A 35 year-old construction worker was killed when the wind blew down a wall under construction at a high school in Windham around 5 pm. Winds also blew down trees and limbs onto power lines in many locations, causing scattered ... 1 0 –
2001-10-08 Strong WindKnox County · forecast zone Knox A wind gust capsized a canoe with three teenagers aboard on Crawford Pond at approximately 1230 pm. One of the teenagers drowned as a result of the incident. Wind gusts were measured at 37 mph at Portland and 29 mph at Rockland at about the time of the incident. 1 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest high wind and dust records in Maine

Maine: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2000-10-28 Strong WindCumberland County · forecast zone Interior Cumberland 0 0 $2.1M
2006-10-29 Strong WindCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland 48 kt wind 0 0 $586K
1996-01-27 High WindWaldo County · forecast zone Coastal Waldo 0 0 $376K
2012-10-29 High WindYork County · forecast zone Coastal York 54 kt wind 0 0 $323K
2005-05-23 High WindCumberland County · forecast zone Coastal Cumberland 52 kt wind 0 0 $257K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in Maine?

Maine's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

High wind and dust storms: Maine and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeMaineUnited StatesMaine's share
1996-9947614,0263.4%
2000s84037,2542.3%
2010s25441,7480.6%
2020-2619036,3000.5%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in Maine

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-03-16 High WindWashington County · forecast zone Coastal Washington 58 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-16 High WindHancock County · forecast zone Coastal Hancock 53 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-16 High WindWashington County · forecast zone Central Washington 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-16 High WindHancock County · forecast zone Interior Hancock 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-16 High WindPenobscot County · forecast zone Southern Penobscot 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-12-20 High WindPiscataquis County · forecast zone Southern Piscataquis 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-12-20 High WindWashington County · forecast zone Northern Washington 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-12-20 High WindPenobscot County · forecast zone Central Penobscot 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-12-20 High WindPiscataquis County · forecast zone Central Piscataquis 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-12-20 High WindAroostook County · forecast zone Southeast Aroostook 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-12-20 High WindPenobscot County · forecast zone Northern Penobscot 58 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-12-20 High WindPiscataquis County · forecast zone Northern Piscataquis 52 kt wind 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

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