Maine & Nor'Easters

 Brunswick, Maine is a great place to grow up for a number of reasons; one of which would have to be the fact that severe weather conditions are not something that we face often. No tornadoes, frequent thunderstorms, tropical storms, etc. Our cold ocean does not serve as an energy source for ocean-born storms in the way that more southern realms of the East Coast have to deal with. However, due to the fact that we are right on the coast, we do get some other flavors of coastal storms. Hurricanes, although they generally mostly peter out by the time they hit our coast, still have destructive power. New England is more subject to nor’easters than any other major type of storm. The location of Brunswick makes it easily susceptible to nor’easters due to its coastal and relatively northern location across the eastern seaboard. Similar to hurricanes, nor’easters form at sea. They form in low-pressure zones and start to spin and take in more moisture and energy. Generally, they form within about one hundred miles of the coast and are blown towards the northeast. Once they make landfall, nor’easters bring precipitation and wind. Often, they are also accompanied by a cold front. They are a true representation of the winter season. The precipitation that comes with them often is snow, rain, or a New England classic: wintry mix. Then, between the cold and the wind, roads freeze over, and power lines are broken. Often, the aftermath of nor’easters is more detrimental than the storm itself. Unlike a tornado or wildfire, there is no an inherent danger to a nor’easter. Instead, it sets up perfect conditions for wintery chaos. Nor’easters are a relatively unique facet of weather as they only occur along the northeastern seaboard of the US. More significant storms that occur are remembered for years to come. In some cases, they were the source behind lost power for a month. Others cancelled school for a week. In both cases, ice is generally the culprit behind such havoc, as it is heavy and hard to deal with. One other piece to the nor’easter puzzle is the increase in ocean roughness. Having a storm move across the ocean causes waves and more intense tide changes, often leading to mild coastal flooding and erosion. Mainers are hearty and lucky that we do not have to deal with overly intense weather, but each winter we get the test of a nor’easter at our door.