Updated at 3:19 p.m.
Power outages in Lincoln County are on the rise, with 176 homes affected in the 3:13 p.m. bulletin from Central Maine Power; up from 57 earlier in the day. The National Weather Service radio tower on Blinn Hill in Dresden is still out of service as rainfall continues to pummel the area. A total of three weather alerts issued by the NWS are also in effect.
The heaviest precipitation passed through Lincoln County during the mid-day hours, according to forecasters. Rainfall in decreasing intensity is expected to continue into the nighttime hours, according to the NWS.
There is a possibility that a combination of high tide and heavy run off into the Damariscotta River will cause some minor flooding in-town Damariscotta when the tide peaks at 1:56 p.m. A reporter for The Lincoln County News has been dispatched to that area to monitor the situation.
Rainfall began in the evening hours of Tuesday and continued to intensify during the overnight hours.
At 11:47 a.m. on Wednesday the NWS issued a special weather statement advising that the NWS radio transmitter on Blinn Hill in Dresden had been knocked out of service by a downed tree and that technicians had been dispatched to repair the facility. The Blinn Hill radio transmitter is the source for up to the minute weather reports on the NWS VHF radio network.
At 11:58 a.m. on Wednesday Central Maine Power reported that 44 Lincoln County households were suffering from power outages. That number increased to 57 by 1:28 p.m., with 47 of those outages located in Bristol.
A coastal flood advisory, a special weather statement, and most importantly a flood warning, were all issued at mid-day on Wednesday; replacing earlier advisories.
The flood warning is notable in that the term is used by the NWS to describe a situation where flooding has occurred or is occurring in the warning area.
The NWS warns that, “Most flood deaths occur in automobiles… Never drive your vehicle into areas where water covers the roadway… Flood waters are usually deeper than they appear… Just one foot of flowing water is powerful enough to sweep vehicles off the road.”
According to the NWS, creeks, streams, and other low lying areas are most prone to flooding.
Rainfall, sometimes falling at the rate of 1 inch per hour, has accumulated to 3 to 5 inches in some areas of Lincoln County at the time of this posting, according to the NWS. Another 1 inch of rainfall can be expected before the storm moves out, according to the NWS flood warning.
The high winds and wet weather combined with the abundance of leaves still on trees or on the ground are mentioned as a contributing factor to flood conditions, according to the NWS. Poor drainage in some areas due to fallen leaves clogging pipes and gutters may cause flooding in some areas, according to the NWS.
The flood warning issued by the NWS will remain in effect until 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, after which it will likely be replaced by an earlier flood watch, which was in effect until Thursday morning.
A coastal flood watch is in effect until 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Rainfall was noted as decreasing in intensity at approximately 1:15 p.m. in Lincoln County and radar images monitored at intellicast.com indicated lighter rain over Lincoln County. At the same time, reports in Portland indicated the rainfall was moving easterly and out of that area, so Lincoln County may see continued improvement as night approaches.
