Extratropical Storm Arthur (gale force) Update Fifteen

Extratropical Storm Arthur (gale force) Update Fourteen

June 2014 Climate Summary for northern and eastern Maine

June 2004 averaged a little above normal for temperature and near
normal for rainfall for northern and eastern Maine, both with some
geographical distribution across the region.

Average temperatures actually ranged from near normal across the
Down East coast upwards to nearly 2.5 degrees above average across
the far northeast.  Believe it or not, the average of 63.0 degrees
at Caribou, which was 2.3 degrees above normal tied for the 6th
Warmest June (along with 1995, 1979, and 1973). The warmest June(s)
(2006 and 1976) of record at Caribou was 64.0 degrees, only 3.3
degrees above the 1981-2010 mean of 60.7 which is unusually low
variation even for a summer month, meaning that this record can be
easily broken if a warm and relatively dry regime were able to
dominate the entire month of June. Most locations experienced a warm
first 10 days this month followed by at or below normal temperatures
between the 11th and 26th and then a warm finish for the 27th and
30th when most locations inland from the immediate coast experienced
maximum monthly temperatures of upper 80s to around 90 degrees.

Rainfall ranged from 75 to 95 percent of average across northeast
Maine, and 100 to 120 percent of average across the remainder of the
region.  At Caribou, this was the driest June since 2007 when only
2.44 inches fell, with 2009 nearly as dry with 2.69 inches.  More
So, this June ended a streak (2010-2013)of 4 consecutive wet Junes
were significant portions of the region experienced 150 to 250
percent of average rainfall.  Significant to heavy rainfall days this
June across the region included the 6th...18th and 25th/26th.

The official Climate Prediction Center forecast for our region for
the month of July is calling for equal chances of above...near
normal or below normal categories for both temperature and rainfall
for the entire region. Average high (low) temperatures forJjuly for
the region generally range from 75 to 80 (55 to 60) degrees with
average rainfall ranging from around 3.00 inches along the Down East
coast upwards to 4.00 inches across northern and western higher
terrain locations.

Long stretch of warm weather at Caribou, Maine

...Many records have fallen...

July 3rd was the 6th day in a row with a high temperature of 87
degrees or warmer at Caribou. This is only the 4th time that
there has been such a lengthy stretch of high temperatures of 87F
or warmer at Caribou. The all-time record is 8 consecutive days
with a high of 87F or warmer, which was observed in July 1970.

July 3rd is also the 7th day in a row with a high temperature above
80 degrees. Although an impressive stretch by Caribou
standards, it is still shy of the record of 9 days set 3 times
during the decade of the 1970s.

The all-time warmest low temperature record was tied at Caribou
yesterday. The low of 71 degrees tied the record previously set on
July 31, 1970 and July 18, 1975.

During this stretch of warm weather a couple of high temperature
records have been established. On July 1st the high of 89 degrees
broke the previous record high of 88 degrees set in 1997. On the
2nd, the high of 91 degrees broke the previous record of 89F set
In 2002.

Record warm low temperatures were also established on the 1st and
2nd. The low on the 1st of 66 degrees broke the old record of 65
degrees in 1973. The low of 71 degrees on the 2nd broke the record
of 65 set in 1997.

Extratropical Storm Arthur - Maine Rainfall Totals

Storm Arthur aftermath: 130 customers in Prince Edward Island still without power

CBC News Posted: Jul 07, 2014 6:41 AM AT Last Updated: Jul 07, 2014 12:12 PM AT

Post-tropical storm Arthur has moved on, but Prince Edward Island is still dealing with scattered power outages in its wake.

As of 10:30 a.m. AT on Monday, approximately 130 Maritime Electric customers still didn't have power. Some of those customers have been without power for more than 24 hours now.

• Food safety after power outages: 'When in doubt, toss it out'
• What you need to know: Safety during a power outage

The utility says the outages are caused by trees and branches on power lines.
There's no word yet on when everyone will be restored.

The number of outages has dropped since Sunday when 5,000 customers were in the dark. The company said 19 crews are working on restoring power.

"We will continue to work through the night and into Monday to restore power to all customers," reads their website.

Cleanup continues

The cleanup continues in Charlottetown harbour, where three boats sank amid high winds and choppy waves.

The storm hit the Island Saturday afternoon, bringing wind gusts of 105 km/h.
About five boats suffered serious damage.

“Given this is a new experience for me and for a lot of people here, we're going to go forward and be cautious, but do what we have to do I guess,” said Kerry Marsh, vice commodore of the yacht club.
Marsh said he isn't sure if the damage to the marina will be covered by insurance. It wasn’t covered when Hurricane Juan damaged it.

Arthur leaves 91,000 without power in N.B., 39,000 in N.S.

NB Power had estimated half of customers would be back up Sunday night, N.S. power returning slowly

CBC News Posted: Jul 07, 2014 6:17 AM AT Last Updated: Jul 07, 2014 12:22 PM AT

 

Crews are struggling to restore power to nearly 91,000 customers in New Brunswick and 39,000 in Nova Scotia, two days after post-tropical storm Arthur hit the Maritimes.

• Sinkhole swallows 3 trailers, car at Fredericton RV park
• Storm Arthur aftermath: Tens of thousands still in dark in Nova Scotia
• Fredericton firefighters battled 30 electrical fires

The hardest-hit area in New Brunswick was Fredericton, where 43,994 customers are without power, according to NB Power’s website at 10:53 a.m. AT.

• In western New Brunswick, there are 13,410 customers still in the dark in Woodstock.
• In southern New Brunswick, NB Power reports there are 10,411 customers without power in St. Stephen and 9,881 in Rothesay.
• Meanwhile, in eastern New Brunswick, there are 5,662 people without power in Miramichi.

The restoration of power is taking longer than NB Power predicted on Sunday.

Gaëtan Thomas, president and chief executive officer of NB Power, said Sunday that half of the 135,000 of customers without electricity "should have power back by midnight tonight. The majority of our customers by noon” on Monday.

Thomas told CBC's Information Morning Fredericton on Monday the utility has been forced to reassess its estimates for restoring power to much of the province.

“The target now is to have 80 per cent of our customers restored within five days. That is quite exceptional considering the damage; 2,000 trees in Fredericton alone and we estimate tens of thousands of trees across the province,” Thomas said.

NB Power says the remaining 20 per cent of customers will have their power restored by the weekend.

Thomas said crews restored power to about 77,000 customers on Sunday but many had to be restored twice or three times.

NB Power posted on its Twitter account that the company's estimates for returning power to many New Brunswickers was "overly optimistic."

Nova Scotia Power is in a similar situation, with 39,000 customers still without electricity on Monday.

The utility had previously estimated most customers would have power restored Sunday evening.
Neera Ritcey, a spokeswoman for Nova Scotia Power, said the majority of customers would have their power back on Monday, but others could be waiting until Wednesday.

There will be more than 200 crews working in New Brunswick by noon on Monday, Thomas said. Additional crews are coming from Maine and Quebec.

Thomas said crews are working 24 hours a day.

“This is a massive effort and we have first-rate workers who are committed to return power to customers as soon as possible,” he said.

Post-tropical storm Arthur is responsible for the largest blackout in New Brunswick’s history, according to NB Power.

The storm brought strong winds and heavy rain. The strongest winds were recorded in Fredericton, where gusts hit 100 km/h.

All of New Brunswick received heavy rainfall. St. Stephen, in the southwestern part of the province, received 143 millimetres of rain on Saturday — the highest amount of rain from the storm recorded in the Maritimes.

Other communities that had significant highest rainfall amounts on Saturday include:

• Noonan, N.B., 140 mm.
• Millville, N.B.: 127 mm.
• Miramichi, N.B.: 122 mm.

Many municipalities are trying to help citizens, who have been without power for several days.

Fredericton will open the Grant-Harvey Centre and Willie O’Ree Place on Monday, and they will be used as charging stations. Shower facilities will also be available at the arenas.

More than 3,500 Mainers still without power, Washington County hit hardest

By Tim Cox, BDN Staff

Posted July 07, 2014, at 10:47 a.m.
Last modified July 07, 2014, at 11:11 a.m.

 

The weekend storm tossed a tree against Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lubec, which was still experiencing widespread power outages on Monday.

 

High winds from the weekend storm bent this flag pole in a cemetery in Lubec.

MACHIAS, Maine — An estimated 3,560 customers were still without power because of the weekend storm, with the vast majority of them in Washington County, Emera Maine reported early Monday morning.

As of 5 a.m., 2,766 customers in Washington County were without power, 794 in Hancock and 70 in Aroostook.

Most of the outages were clustered along the coast of Washington and Hancock counties, from Harborside near Penobscot Bay to easternmost Lubec, and also around the cities of Presque Isle and Caribou in Aroostook County.

Although many portions of Lubec were still without power, Town Administrator John Sutherland said the town’s public works employees worked through the weekend and that all roads were passable.

However, trees have knocked down power lines adjacent to some roads, and motorists should use caution in those areas, he said Monday.

A tree fell onto at least one house and a church building, said Sutherland, but he was unsure how badly they were damaged. “All you saw was tree,” he said Monday.
“Considering the severity of the storm, we were lucky,” added Sutherland.

Eight communities in coastal Washington each had an estimated 100-500 customers without power, Emera Maine reported on its website, and other communities in the region reported lesser outages.
The company expected power to be restored to all customers in Washington County by the end of the day Tuesday and, in Hancock, by midday Tuesday. Power was expected to be restored in Aroostook by midday Monday.

Utility crews worked through the overnight to restore power, according to Emera Maine, which was being assisted by 60 workers from southern Maine, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

High winds, the remnants of Hurricane Arthur, battered eastern Maine on Saturday, and the region also received heavy rain. Strong winds broke limbs and toppled trees, pulling down power lines and breaking utility poles. In some cases the downed trees blocked roads and access to areas where utility crews were trying to go to restore power.

At the height of the storm, more than 20,000 customers in Emera Maine’s service area were without power Saturday, but that number was reduced to about 15,000 that evening as crews responded to outages.

“It’s been a challenging restoration because of the amount of damage Down East,” Emera Maine spokesman Bob Potts said midmorning Monday. Washington County experienced a lot of broken utility poles and trees fallen on power lines, he noted.

The company is using a barge to send trucks out to the Cranberry Isles off the coast of Mount Desert Island in order to restore power, said Potts.

The company also has a crew in a helicopter, patrolling remote areas to look for damage where larger transmission lines are located, he said.

Potts acknowledged that the circumstances are “very challenging and frustrating” for customers who have been without power now for several days.

“We have deployed every available resource,” he said, in order to help them.
“It’s been a process, but we’re getting there, and we appreciate everyone’s patience.”
Potts issued a reminder not to touch downed power lines or trees that are contacting them.

Emera Maine customers who are without power can call 207-973-2020 to report an outage.

Extratropical Storm Arthur (gale force) Update Thirteen