NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Orono, 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
32 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Orono, Maine since 1851, 4 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 6 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 4
- Tropical storms
- 28
- Tornadoes
- 6
- 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 Orono
The strongest storm to pass near Orono was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 1 hurricane with 82 mph winds when its centre passed 35 miles away. The record near Orono begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 57 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 5 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 32 systems, one has come since 2000. Orono has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 160 Maine cities on this site. The strongest of the 6 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on August 16, 1959; its path came within 10 miles. Of the 6, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and none has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on August 27, 1997. Of the 160 Maine cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Orono. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1958, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Orono has more hail reports within 10 miles than 74% of the 160 Maine cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Orono
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 10 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 20 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 7 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | CarrieSep 4 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | HeidiSep 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | GerdaSep 10 | 69 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 31 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | EdnaSep 12 | 63 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 5 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 22 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 11 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 11 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 26 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 26 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 23 | 71 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 23 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormOct 5 | 35 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 9 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Orono: 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 Orono
By decade
- 1990s2
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 1959 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 28, 1991 | F1 | 20 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 1959 | F1 | 15 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 17, 1959 | F1 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 2, 1958 | F1 | 1 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 27, 1997 | F0 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 6 of 6, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Orono
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Orono since 1958, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on June 17, 1994. The most recent report is from July 2, 2020. July has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Orono
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Old Town 2 W, ME, 2 miles west of Orono at 127 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 27°F and 6°F. October is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 44.8 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (22.9 of 44.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 32 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (18); a normal September there has highs of 70°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 2 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 173 nights a year. That 44.8 inches is more than at 13 of the 47 Maine stations used on this site (28%). Bangor, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Bangor International Airport, ME): 41.8 inches a year, 3.0 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 6 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Feb | 31 | 8 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Mar | 39 | 19 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 52 | 30 | 3.7 | 8 |
| May | 65 | 41 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Jun | 73 | 50 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Jul | 79 | 56 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Aug | 78 | 53 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 70 | 46 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 57 | 36 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Nov | 44 | 27 | 4.0 | 8 |
| Dec | 34 | 16 | 4.2 | 9 |
| Year | 54 | 32 | 44.8 | 87 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Old Town 2 W, ME (127 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 Orono
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 87 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Orono: 77 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 floods, 2 flash floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $481,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on May 15, 2004.
May 1, 2008: flood 7 miles from the centre of Orono — $481,000 damage.
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Orono's ZIP code 04473 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1987, and were paid $155,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 55% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 61 Maine cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 4 have fewer than Orono.
Penobscot County, which includes Orono, 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 Orono
- Old Town, ME2 mi
- Milford, ME3 mi
- Bangor, ME9 mi
- Eddington, ME10 mi
- Brewer, ME10 mi
- Orrington, ME15 mi
- Holden, ME16 mi
- Levant, ME16 mi
- Corinth, ME17 mi
- Hampden, ME18 mi
- Carmel, ME19 mi
- Winterport, ME21 mi
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