Storm wreaks havoc in Oxbow, Route 11
Photo courtesy of Judy Sherman
A TREE RESTS on a home in Oxbow, following a severe storm that passed through the community on Wednesday, Sept. 11. A tornado was confirmed to have touched down in Piscataquis County, just west of Oxbow. High winds from the storm made their way east, knocking down dozens of trees in the remote community located off Route 11, south of Masardis. No injuries were reported as a result of the storm.
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Wild weather late last Wednesday caused considerable delays in travel and power outages in parts of Aroostook County, as high winds and heavy rain downed trees and power lines.
The National Weather Service office in Caribou confirmed Monday that a tornado with an estimated maximum wind speed of 80 mph touched down in a remote region of Piscataquis County, near Moosehorn Crossing. An aerial survey showed the tornado occurred in the North Maine Woods, producing a damage path approximately 450 yards long by 125 yards wide. Using the Fujita Scale, the Sept. 11 tornado was classified as an EF0 — wind speeds of 65 to 85 mph.
The storm — which produced the tornado — quickly became outflow, producing widespread wind damage as it continued to move east-southeast. The area hit hardest by the straight-line winds is approximately 18 miles southeast of Ashland or about 12 miles east-southeast of Oxbow. The damage was more sporadic thereafter.
Numerous trees were reported down along a stretch of Route 11, beginning in the Oxbow area and continuing south to Knowles Corner. In some areas, traffic was reduced to a single lane. Traffic was stopped entirely due to downed trees along one section of Route 11 north of Knowles Corner.
“Deputy Sheriff Kris Malmborg encountered downed trees and power lines on Route 11, about 10 miles north of Knowles Corner. He worked with forest rangers, troopers and crews from the Maine Department of Transportation for about three hours to clear a two- to three-mile section of Route 11 so traffic could start moving again,” said Chief Deputy Sheriff Darrell Crandall, of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office.
Many Oxbow residents found themselves stranded during and after the storm, as a result of trees blocking the only road in and out of the remote community.
“From Route 11, there were trees across the road. It was hit or miss all through town,” said Oxbow resident Judy Sherman.
“We are just across the town line — three miles from Route 11 — and trees across the road from us on the south side were snapped off. Throughout town, there was damage to many trees. Some were snapped off 20 feet above the ground, others were uprooted due to the saturation of the ground,” she said.
Sherman said you could see “swaths up through the woods where the path of the storm went.”
Numerous downed trees blocked the road past the gate entering the North Maine Woods, with volunteers armed with chainsaws and axes devoting many hours to clearing a path for logging trucks to have access to work sites. While smaller trees were easily moved, pathways were cut through larger logs. Some sections of the road were one lane only; in other areas trees jutted into the road, creating blind spots. Authorities advise using caution when traveling in this particular section due to the downed trees.
“A lot of trees are leaning hard. One gentleman had a tree come down in front of him that snapped right back up — the wind was so forceful,” said Sherman.
According to Sherman, the “fierce winds started about 4:15 p.m., which lasted for about 15 minutes before settling down.”
“We lost power at 4:30 p.m. and it was out until 3:30 a.m. the next day, Sept. 12,” she said.
Sherman and her husband rode through town the next day, taking pictures of the damage.
“There is one house that has a big spruce leaning on it and two homes that lost big trees on their lawns,” she said.
Sherman said the storm effectively cut off the community from access to Route 11.
“The road was completely blocked for about an hour. It was two and a half to three hours before all the trees were cleaned out of the roadway. There were about 10 vehicles that were caught between the downed trees,” said Sherman, who credited residents for coming together to perform cleanup.
“It was a big community effort to get the road cleared; thanks go out to all the volunteers,” said Sherman.
Power outages were also reported as a result of the storm, as high winds and rain continued eastward.
“Maine Public Service Company crews worked to restore power Wednesday evening to customers located in Mars Hill, Bridgewater, Monticello, Ludlow, Oakfield, Island Falls, Patten and Sherman,” said Susan Faloon, spokesperson for Bangor Hydro Electric/Maine Public Service.
Faloon said the cause of the outages was under investigation, with crews investigating the two transmission lines that were affected.
“The cause may be related to thunderstorms that passed through the area late this afternoon,” said Faloon.
In all, 5,307 customers were affected in Aroostook County. Power has since been restored.
Faloon reminds customers to “stay clear of any fallen power lines or trees touch them.”
Customers may report outages or ask questions by calling the MPS Customer Service Center at 877-655-4448.
