NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Thorndike, 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
35 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Thorndike, Maine since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 7 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 7
- 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 Thorndike
The strongest storm to pass near Thorndike was an unnamed storm in 1869, a Category 1 hurricane with 86 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. The record near Thorndike begins with an unnamed storm in 1858; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 60 miles away. Of the 35 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 160 Maine cities on this site, 38% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Thorndike. The highest rating among the 7 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1, reached 6 times; the most recent, on October 3, 1970, came within 19 miles. Of the 7, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and none has come since 2000. Of the 160 Maine cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Thorndike. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 11 times since 1983, with stones up to 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size). Of the 160 Maine cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Thorndike.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Thorndike
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 8 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 17 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 14 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1991 | BobAug 20 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 7 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | HeidiSep 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | EstherSep 26 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 15 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 13 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 31 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 11 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1954 | EdnaSep 12 | 75 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormFeb 5 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 9 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 21 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 31 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 17 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 11 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 30 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 26 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 26 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 12 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormOct 23 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormOct 5 | 20 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 9 | 46 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 28 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1858 | Unnamed 1858 stormSep 16 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Thorndike: 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 Thorndike
By decade
- 1970s1
- 1960s3
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 1970 | F1 | 19 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 1968 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 1, 1963 | F1 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 17, 1959 | F1 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1958 | F1 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 14, 1956 | F1 | 19 mi | 18.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 15, 1963 | F0 | 16 mi | 17.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 7 of 7, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Thorndike
The Storm Prediction Center has 11 hail reports within 10 miles of Thorndike since 1983, made on 9 separate days. Of these, 7 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.5 inches (ping pong ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently August 2, 2011. The most recent report is from May 22, 2022. July has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Thorndike
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Belfast, ME, 16 miles southeast of Thorndike at 20 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 77°F and low of 57°F; January is the coolest, at 30°F and 10°F. October is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 49.0 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (24.8 of 49.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 35 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (18); a normal September there has highs of 70°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 2 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 162 nights a year. Snowfall averages 71.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.0 inches is more than at 30 of the 47 Maine stations used on this site (64%). Albion, 10 miles west, has its own station (Waterville Trtmt Plt, ME): 43.3 inches a year, 5.7 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 77°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 10 | 3.9 | 7 | 19.2 |
| Feb | 32 | 12 | 3.2 | 6 | 22.4 |
| Mar | 40 | 20 | 4.1 | 7 | 11.7 |
| Apr | 52 | 31 | 4.4 | 7 | 2.2 |
| May | 63 | 41 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 72 | 51 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 77 | 57 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 76 | 56 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 70 | 48 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 57 | 38 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 4.7 | 7 | 2.5 |
| Dec | 35 | 18 | 4.7 | 8 | 13.2 |
| Year | 54 | 34 | 49.0 | 83 | 71.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Belfast, ME (20 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 Thorndike
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 30 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Thorndike: 21 thunderstorm wind reports and 9 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $537,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 28, 2015.
October 9, 2005: flood 8 miles from the centre of Thorndike — $200,000 damage.
April 28, 2005: flood 8 miles from the centre of Thorndike — $105,000 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
Waldo County, which includes Thorndike, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 8 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on March 20, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Waldo County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding, coastal flooding and strong wind; Very Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.4 million a year, the 12th highest of 16 Maine counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.1 million (38%), 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 Thorndike
- Albion, ME10 mi
- Belfast, ME13 mi
- Searsport, ME15 mi
- Clinton, ME16 mi
- South China, ME17 mi
- Pittsfield, ME17 mi
- Winterport, ME18 mi
- Lincolnville, ME19 mi
- Waterville, ME19 mi
- Stockton Springs, ME19 mi
- Hampden, ME20 mi
- Carmel, ME20 mi
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