Do You Remember When Hurricanes Gloria and Bob Hit New England?

Regardless of how it tracks, Hurricane Lee will impact our weather in New England and especially in Maine. A hurricane watch went into effect on Wednesday evening as Lee gets closer.

Hurricanes are not unheard of in New England by any means, but in the past 40 years, we have had two hurricanes that have caused significant damage and destruction in New England.

Hurricane Gloria – September 1985

According to the Maine Emergency Management Agency, Hurricane Gloria affected six counties in the southern and central part of the state, caused multiple injuries, downed trees, and resulted in power failures for 14 days.

As the storm approached, every radio station in town was playing Laura Branigan's "Gloria" almost every hour.

I remember going to my high school with my father after Gloria passed. We stood on the 50-yard line with the massive football scoreboard sitting at our feet, having been blown off the bolts securing it to the posts in the end zone. It was brand new, too.

Maine wasn't the only one to see damage, as nearly every state in New England felt Gloria's effects.

Hurricane Bob - September 1991

Hurricane Bob also affected six counties in the southern and central parts of the state. Three people died, there were many power outages, and over $5 million in damages were left in the wake of Bob. President Clinton also declared the areas affected in Maine as a disaster. By the way, that $5 million is the equivalent of over $11 million in 2023.

And now here comes Hurricane Lee, a name that sounds just as non-threatening as Bob, but can clearly be a threat.

Make sure you do what you need to do in case of a power outage from Lee's high winds. Keep your cell phone charged, and we'll see what happens.