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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
500 AM EST THU FEB 2 2001

TODAY...FRIDAY FEBRUARY 2ND WILL MARK THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
"GREAT BANGOR FLOOD".  AT 1130 ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 2ND 1976 PARTS
OF THE CITY OF BANGOR SAW A FLASH FLOOD OF HISTORICAL PROPORTIONS. THE 
AREA WHERE KENDUSKEAG STREAM FLOWS INTO THE PENOBSCOT RIVER WAS ESPECIALLY
HARD HIT.  IN A MATTER OF ABOUT 15 MINUTES WATER LEVELS ROSE FROM BEING
WITHIN THEIR BANKS TO A HEIGHT OF 12 FEET IN THE KENDUSKEAG PLAZA AREA.
THIS RESULTED IN APPROXIMATELY 200 CARS BEING SUBMERGED AND OFFICE WORKERS 
BEING STRANDED.  SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE CAUGHT IN THE FLOOD WATERS AS THEY
TRIED TO MOVE THEIR CARS.  THESE PEOPLE HAD TO BE RESCUED. FOR A WHILE BOATS 
WERE SEEN IN THE FLOOD WATERS WHERE CARS USUALLY WERE THE NORM.  FEBRUARY 
SECOND 1976 WAS ANYTHING BUT A NORMAL DAY IN BANGOR.  THE HEIGHT OF THE 
PENOBSCOT RIVER CAUSED THE TWO BRIDGES BETWEEN BANGOR AND BREWER TO BE 
CLOSED. THE FLOOD WATERS DID NOT STAY LONG AND BY 2 PM THE RIVER WAS BACK 
IN ITS BANKS...AND SOON THE CITY BEGAN ITS CLEANUP.  NO DEATHS WERE REPORTED 
FROM THIS EVENT...ALTHOUGH FLOOD DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE IN EXCESS OF 
2 MILLION DOLLARS.  ALTHOUGH THE 1976 FLASH FLOOD WAS THE LARGEST OF ITS KIND
...SIMILAR TYPES OF FLASH FLOODS HAVE OCCURRED TO A LESSER DEGREE IN THE PAST. 

THE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS THAT LED UP TO THIS EVENT INVOLVED A POWERFUL
NOR'EASTER MOVING RAPIDLY INTO MAINE...WITH ITS FIERCEST WINDS COINCIDING 
WITH HIGH TIDE.  THE STORM MOVED INTO WESTERN MAINE PLACING BANGOR IN A 
STRONG SOUTHERLY WIND GRADIENT.  WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 115 MPH WERE RECORDED 
AT SOUTHWEST HARBOR.  THESE STRONG WINDS FORCED AN OCEAN SURGE TO FUNNEL 
UP THE PENOBSCOT RIVER TO THE MOUTH OF KENDUSKEAG STREAM WHICH IN TURN 
RESULTED IN THE FLOOD WATERS THAT INUNDATED THE BANGOR AREA.  ALTHOUGH BANGOR 
WAS THE HARDEST HIT AREA IN MAINE...MANY SECTIONS FROM BRUNSWICK TO EASTPORT 
WERE IMPACTED BY THIS EVENT.  FLOODING...WIND DAMAGE AND EVEN STRANDED SHIPS
RESULTED FROM THIS STORM.

LUCKILY NO LIVES WERE LOST IN THE FEBRUARY 2ND 1976 STORM.  THE FACT THAT 
THE FLOOD STARTED BEFORE LUNCH HOUR AS OPPOSED TO DURING LUNCH HOUR MAY
BE PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CARIBOU
WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS ANNIVERSARY TO REMIND PEOPLE IN THE BANGOR AREA 
THAT THESE TYPES OF FLASH FLOODS...ALTHOUGH INFREQUENT...ARE POSSIBLE.
THE BANGOR OF TODAY HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN 25 YEARS WITH MORE PEOPLE 
AND BUILDINGS.  THIS ANNIVERSARY BECOMES EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT WHEN ONE 
CONSIDERS THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INFLUX OF NEW PEOPLE TO THE AREA...ALONG 
WITH A NEED TO EDUCATE THE POPULATION BORN AFTER 1976. THESE FACTS COMBINED 
WITH AN EVENT SIMILAR TO THAT OF FEBRUARY 2ND 1976 OCCURRING AT RUSH HOUR 
COULD RESULT IN MUCH MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
FORECASTERS DO HAVE BETTER RESOURCES TODAY THEN THEY DID 25 YEARS AGO.  MORE 
ACCURATE COMPUTER MODELS AND STORM SURGE MODELS AID FORECASTERS IN PREDICTING 
THESE EVENTS.  DESPITE THIS...THIS TYPE OF EVENT IS A VERY DIFFICULT ONE TO 
ANTICIPATE.  THIS IS WHY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS IN 
FLOOD PRONE AREAS TO HAVE A FLOOD PLAN.  THIS FLOOD PLAN SHOULD EMPHASIZE 
WHERE SAFE ZONES ARE IN THEIR AREA.  PEOPLE SHOULD USE DRILLS AS A WAY TO 
ENSURE THAT FAMILY MEMBERS AND WORKERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THESE SAFE AREAS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS FLOOD...PLEASE REFER TO THE U.S. 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY REPORT "MAINE COASTAL FLOOD OF FEBRUARY 2, 1976".


HENDRICUS J. LULOFS...WARNING AND COORDINATION
		      METEOROLOGIST...NWS CARIBOU.