These 14 Photos Captured The Biggest Ice Storm In Maine History Back In 1998
By Michelle|Published August 14, 2019
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
Despite beautiful summers it’s impossible to forget what winters in Maine can be like. They’re harsh, cold and oftentimes extremely unpredictable. We’re used to it. In fact, it’s not uncommon for Mainers to ignore weather reports. We know that it’s impossible to predict what will happen until it…happens. But, we also know that we’ll probably still be going to work and school. We’re hearty like that! But, every so often we see weather that stops the state in its tracks. A perfect example? Who remembers the ice storm in 1998?
January 1998 will go down in the memories of many Mainers. It was the start of a new year and things were looking up. Well, no. They were looking a lot like Maine. Cold, windy and grey.
The storm brought significant snow, but the real problem was the freezing rain and ice, which fell for more than 80 hours. Looking at a map, it’s almost unbelievable that so many people contended with these conditions for so long.
As with all Maine storms, once it passed all was calm. The blanket of snow made things pure and serene. But, little but little Mainers began going outside and seeing the true devastation this storm brought.
In Southern Maine, those in Windham, Buxton, Cumberland, Gray, Falmouth and Gorham experienced some of the strongest winds and highest accumulation. Scores of residents here were housebound, constantly checking with neighbors to see if they’d been able to venture out to the store.
More than 130 shelters were managed by The Red Cross and other local organizations in the weeks after the storm.This helped nearly 4,000 people get back on their feet.
This was certainly not the only storm to deal Maine a major blow. There was the massive 2015 blizzard that most of us still remember. And, of course, that 1969 nor’easter that hit much of the region. Relive them all through these articles and then hit the beach. It’s still summer!
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