Washington County, Maine severe weather history spans 171 recorded events between 1958 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,602 nationally and #11 in Maine.
171
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$2.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Washington County, Maine severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washington County, Maine severe weather history averages 2.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 61 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 11 events fall before 1990 and 160 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $1.2M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Washington County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 84 | 0 | $101K | 93 | 1985–2025 |
| Hail | 44 | 0 | $500 | 2.75 | 1958–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 15 | 0 | $905K | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Flood | 14 | 0 | $1.2M | 0 | 2006–2023 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $300K | F2 | 1961–2019 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 1998–1999 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2014 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 1 | 0 | $38K | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Waterspout | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Washington County, Maine severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-09-15 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 19.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-07-07 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 7.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-08-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-06-10 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-07-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-07-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-29 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washington County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 10, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jul 15, 1995 | Hail | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Sep 15, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Rainfall totals generally ranged from 2.00 to 4.00 inches…with local totals in excess of 5.00 inches. These heavy rains produced flash flooding. Numerous roads were closed or damaged to varying extents due to washouts. Damage to bridges and culverts also occurred. Some residents were left isolated due to the washouts. Many roads were impacted in the Machias area. Both roads leading into and out of Roque Bluffs were washed out between Roque Bluffs and Jonesboro. Great Cove Road and Old Route 1 were both closed due to washouts in the vicinity of Jonesboro.
Storm total rainfall of 4.00 to 6.00 inches…with localized totals of around 7.00 inches produced flash flooding across the region. Water was reported covering Route 1 near Gardner Lake and 2 feet of water was reported flowing across Route 192 at Great Brook.
Storm total rainfall of 4.00 to 6.00 inches…with local totals of around 7.00 inches produced flash flooding across the region. A maximum rainfall total of 7.09 inches was reported at Lubec. Flash flooding was reported on Route 1 near Perry…near Addison…along Route 1 between Jonesboro and Whiting…near Cutler and in Machias. Roads were closed and damaged across the region…with additional damage to culverts.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
31,331
Population (ACS)
$162K
Median home value
69
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jan 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 14, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LEE | EM |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Washington County, Maine?
171 events are on record between 1958 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $2.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washington County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 84 recorded events — 49.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washington County?
7 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washington County?
69 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washington County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washington County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 48 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washington County, Maine severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Waldo County 139
- York County 518
- Somerset County 465
- Sagadahoc County 89
- Piscataquis County 331
- Penobscot County 574
Cite this page
“Washington County, Maine.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/maine/washington-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.