Freak Tidal Surge in Maine

Posted by Joe Joyce October 30, 2008 at 7:08 am

Update By Joe Joyce Tuesday November 4th-
I witnessed this event first hand at 3 pm that day. I work at Mcseagulls restraunt in boothbay harbor located near the head of the harbor. the event was unlike anything else I have ever seen! The water rushed out of the harbor in a matter of minuets. the power o the surge in the middle of the harbor was compariable to white water rapids during the spring thaw.
Zac Spear, Boothbay Harbor

Tsunamis in the Gulf of Maine

Only small tsunami events have been recorded in Maine. According to the National Weather Service, events were recorded in 1872 and 1926. In 1872, small waves (less than 50 cm) were recorded by tide gauges in Penobscot Bay, though the source of the waves is unknown. A larger wave hit Mt. Desert Island in 1926. This wave reportedly reached 10 feet and suddenly flooded Bass Harbor. There were no injuries reported. It is thought that these events precipitated from small earthquakes in the Atlantic Ocean. Strangely, there are no records in Maine of the 1929 tsunami that hit Newfoundland (mentioned above).

…TUESDAY`S UNUSUAL TIDE FLUCTUATIONS ALONG THE MID-MAINE
COAST…

THE CAUSE OF UNUSUAL TIDE FLUCTUATIONS ALONG THE
MID COAST OF MAINE REMAINS A MYSTERY…AND MAY NEVER BE KNOWN.
SIGNIFICANT RAPID RISES AND FALLS IN TIDE LEVELS WERE OBSERVED
AROUND 3 PM OCTOBER 28 IN BOOTHBAY HARBOR, SOUTHPORT, AND BRISTOL. ONLY
VERY MINOR FLUCTUATIONS WERE NOTED AT TIDE GAUGES ALONG THE
COAST.

THERE ARE SEVERAL POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR YESTERDAY`S EVENT.
RAPID SURGES CAN BE CAUSED BY THE UNDERWATER MOVEMENT OF LAND,
MOST OFTEN DUE TO AN EARTHQUAKE, OR DUE TO THE SLUMPING OF
SEDIMENTS ALONG A STEEP CANYON OR SHELF. NO EARTHQUAKES WERE
REPORTED IN THE AREA YESTERDAY. IN RARE INSTANCES, LARGE AND
RAPID SURGES CAN BE GENERATED BY STORMS. IN EITHER CASE, THE
BATHYMETRY OF THE OCEAN FLOOR REFLECTS AND REFRACTS THE WAVE
ENERGY AND CAN CAUSES SIGNIFICANT VARIATIONS IN TIDE LEVELS
ALONG THE COAST…AND RAPID CHANGES IN TIDE LEVELS AT A
PARTICULAR LOCATION. THESE SURGES ARE QUITE UNLIKE THE MUCH
SLOWER SURGES NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH COASTAL STORMS.

EYE-WITNESS REPORTS FROM SEVERAL LOCATIONS INDICATED THAT WATER
LEVELS FELL AND ROSE FROM 4 FEET TO AS MUCH AS 12 FEET ALONG
THE COAST DURING THE EVENT. THESE RAPID CHANGES IN TIDAL
LEVELS GENERATED THE STRONG CURRENTS THAT DAMAGED PIERS AND
BOATS IN THE AREA.

ALTHOUGH THESE EVENTS ARE RARE ALONG THE MAINE COAST, THEY HAVE
OCCURRED IN THE PAST. ON JANUARY 9, 1926, AN EVENT SIMILAR TO
YESTERDAY`S EVENT WAS OBSERVED IN BASS HARBOR. DURING THAT
EVENT, THE HARBOR DRAINED RAPIDLY AND THEN WAS FOLLOWED BY A 10
FT SURGE OF WATER, FOLLOWED BY TWO OTHER SMALLER WAVES. THERE
WERE NO EARTHQUAKES REPORTED ON THAT DAY. NO ONE WAS INJURED
IN THAT EVENT BUT ABOUT 50 FISHING BOATS WERE HURLED ASHORE.

$$

JENSENIUS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
GRAY, MAINE