HurricaneHurricane
A tropical cyclone in which winds reach speeds of 74 miles per hour or more and blow in a large spiral around a relatively calm center and produces measurable damage or destruction from heavy rainfalls, winds and inland flooding.
Lying within the storm track generally followed by most hurricanes, the New England states, particularly those with substantial coastline have endured the effects of hurricanes.
Twenty hurricanes have affected the State of Maine since hurricane records began being kept in August of 1635.
Average diameter of a hurricane eye is 14 miles wide while the storm diameter may be from 1500 to 2000 miles long. Average rainfall is 6 to 12 inches.
During the past 100 years, the most notable were:
1938 September 21, 1938, trees down, power outages, structural damage
1944 September 15, 1944, trees down, power outages, structural damage
CAROL August 31, 1954, trees down, power outages, structural damage
EDNA Sept. 11, 1954, flooding, trees down, power outages
DONNA Sept. 12, 1960, flooding, washouts, power outages
DAISY Oct. 6, 1962, flooding, power outages, rain 7.71"
BELLE Aug. 9-19, 1976, 5-9" of rain
GLORIA Sept. 27, 1985, power outages, downed trees
BOB Aug. 19, 1991, washouts, power out, trees down
Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. Most occur during the three month period of August, September, and October.
Hurricanes begin as relatively small tropical cyclones which drift gradually into the Northern Hemisphere. Under the right conditions, these disturbances increase in size, speed and intensity to become full-fledged hurricanes after several days, allowing adequate time for preparedness activities to be undertaken.
The normal life span of a hurricane is nine days before it dissipates in the cooler regions of the North Atlantic. The destructive forces of a hurricane last only several hours.
The effects of a hurricane are diffused by the geographic location of Poland. The greatest amount of damage will occur to municipalities along the coast. However, the Town of Poland can experience the effects of wind and heavy rainfall. These forces could cause the smaller rivers and streams to swell, possibly overflowing their banks to cause minor flooding. High winds can cause property damage and power loss.
Check out Poland's Tropical Weather Page
Return
Copyright 2002, Wayne Cotterly
Revised 10/21/02