NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lincoln, ME
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
33 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lincoln, Maine since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 4 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 28
- Tornadoes
- 4
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Lincoln
The strongest storm to pass near Lincoln was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 1 hurricane with 78 mph winds when its centre passed 31 miles away. The record near Lincoln begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 72 miles away. The 1880s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 33 systems, one has come since 2000. Lincoln has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 88% of the 160 Maine cities on this site. The highest rating among the 4 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 3 times; the most recent, on November 7, 1971, came within 2 miles. The most recent tornado was on August 5, 2017. Of the 160 Maine cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lincoln. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 15 times since 1994, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 160 Maine cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lincoln.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lincoln
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 10 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 20 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 7 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | CarrieSep 4 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | HeidiSep 14 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | GerdaSep 10 | 67 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 31 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | EdnaSep 12 | 71 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 5 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 22 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 73 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 2 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 11 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 30 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 26 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 27 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 23 | 74 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 23 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormOct 5 | 31 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 9 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 17 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lincoln: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Lincoln
By decade
- 2010s1
- 1970s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 1971 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 7, 1971 | F2 | 2 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 16, 1959 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 5, 2017 | EF1 | 24 mi | 2.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 4 of 4, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lincoln
The Storm Prediction Center has 15 hail reports within 10 miles of Lincoln since 1994, made on 8 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 18, 1994. The most recent report is from July 9, 2024. July has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lincoln
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lincoln Sanitary District/Wtp, ME, 1 mile west of Lincoln at 190 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 26°F and 3°F. October is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 44.3 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (23.4 of 44.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 33 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (19); a normal September there has highs of 70°F and 3.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 167 nights a year. That 44.3 inches is more than at 11 of the 47 Maine stations used on this site (23%). Millinocket, 23 miles northwest, has its own station (Millinocket, ME): 45.2 inches a year, 0.9 more than here, and the same July average high, 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 3 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Feb | 29 | 5 | 2.4 | 6 |
| Mar | 38 | 17 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 52 | 30 | 3.6 | 8 |
| May | 66 | 43 | 3.7 | 9 |
| Jun | 74 | 53 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Jul | 79 | 59 | 3.4 | 8 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Sep | 70 | 48 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 57 | 37 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Nov | 44 | 27 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Dec | 32 | 15 | 4.2 | 9 |
| Year | 54 | 33 | 44.3 | 90 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lincoln Sanitary District/Wtp, ME (190 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Lincoln
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 45 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lincoln: 41 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 floods and 1 flash flood. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on August 7, 2006.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Penobscot County, which includes Lincoln, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 6 snowstorms, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm and Flooding, on January 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Penobscot County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and hail; Very Low for coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $41.2 million a year, the 3rd highest of 16 Maine counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.1 million (58%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Lincoln
- Millinocket, ME23 mi
- Milo, ME24 mi
- Milford, ME29 mi
- Old Town, ME30 mi
- Orono, ME32 mi
- Dover Foxcroft, ME36 mi
- Corinth, ME37 mi
- Eddington, ME40 mi
- Bangor, ME41 mi
- Levant, ME42 mi
- Brewer, ME42 mi
- Guilford, ME44 mi
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