Bizarre Maine tidal fluctuations

A section of the coast of Maine has experienced bizarre tidal fluctuations. It happened last fall and in 1926 and I am still tracking other refrences regarding other events that were similar.



Boothbay Harbor, ME
Local NBC affiliate report

BOOTHBAY HARBOR (NEWS CENTER) -- Some boats were scratched and docks damaged Tuesday afternoon when low tide became high within a matter of minutes. The Coast Guard is calling it a storm surge. As the water was flowing out for low tide, a storm off-shore pushed it back in bringing the water level back almost near the high water mark. Locals in the area say it happened about 6 or 7 times throughout the afternoon. They say it surged in within a matter of 5 minutes, then flowed back out just as quickly. A similar surge was also reported in Cundy's Harbor. Officials say they want to remind coastal residents to keep their boats securely tied to their docks when they know a storm is happening off the coast.

another write up of same event:

Fisherman's Voice Jan 2009

Bizarre Wave Event in Boothbay Harbor Puzzles Scientists by Catherine Schmitt On the afternoon of October 28, the water in Boothbay Harbor seemed to disappear, withdrawing toward the ocean, then all at once rushing back toward shore in a muddy swirl of currents and 4-to 12-foot waves. Then it happened again, and again.

Will a mod move to the appropriate forum please?




[edit on 10-6-2009 by mandroid]

I was stationed in the Coast Guard up in Maine and that doesn't sound anything like a storm surge to me... It sounds like a tusami.

That's so weird...

I'm moving up to Maine in the fall, and I'll be right on a bay.

That sounds so strange. Maybe there were some serious swells farther out?

Storms in Maine are common so it doesn't seem logical that this tidal fluctuation could be explained away as storm surge.

This has to be caused by something else.

Nice catch too, OP. It's obscure news stories like this that make me love reading ATS.

reply to post by ravenshadow13


Thanks on noticing my sig. Its true ya know.

I lived in Maine for 20 years... Portland to be exact. Wonderful place. The winter's are a bear though.

I still think it was a small tusamni... a submarine landslide for example.

I grew up and have spent most of my life on the Maine coast. I have walked on the beach during low tide while a hurricane whirled off the coast. Storm surge? Come on now....they need something better than that.

I lived in Eastport for 8 years and it was always funny to watch folks tie up at high tide or absolute low tide and go visiting for hours and come back to find their boats hanging or drowning in the 30 ft tides of that harbor. Some would listen to the locals when told,some wouldn't and it was always fun to watch! You try to explain that the tides empty whole bays to the mud and they look at you like your crazy till they actually see it happen!
Zindo

[edit on 6/12/2009 by ZindoDoone]