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Back-to-back storms in January 2024 pushed water from Machias Bay into downtown Machias, flooding businesses and homes.
The National Weather Service reported that at 9:18 a.m. on Jan. 10, 2024, water overtopped the Machias Dike, flooding Court Street. By 10:30 a.m., Route 1 was closed with “at least a foot of water across the road.”
The fast-moving storm, which swept much of the East Coast, brought high winds that knocked down trees and power lines, closing roads and leaving hundreds without electricity for days. Similar damage was reported in other coastal towns, including Addison and Milbridge.
Three days later, a second storm blew in during high tide, causing more damage.
At 11:14 a.m., the Route 1 dike in Machias was closed again because of flooding. By noon, the National Weather Service reported extensive flooding in downtown Machias.
Flooding was also reported on Water Street in Lubec, and Shore Road in Pembroke was underwater.
At the same time in Eastport, Toll Bridge Road was underwater and the Chowder House pier was destroyed, according to National Weather Service records.
A half-hour later, photographs from National Weather Service observers showed significant coastal erosion in Roque Bluffs, and more damage reports rolled in as the storm pounded the coast.
When the storm moved off, the damage was extensive and the call for action, particularly in Machias, was clear.
The dike there has been failing for some time, requiring frequent repairs. Permanent fixes are now being planned, but the community is also looking at the bigger picture: near-certain future flooding driven by rising sea levels, heavier rainfall and snowmelt that swells river tributaries.
Work to establish an Upper Machias Bay Master Plan began in January 2025. Earlier this month, community members and the Upper Machias Bay Master Plan Leadership Committee gathered again to continue the effort.
Ben Edwards, a member of the leadership committee and vice chair of the Machias Select Board, said: "We need to keep businesses operating. We need to keep the traffic flowing. We need to protect the wastewater treatment plant. We need to stabilize our riverbanks and modernize our stormwater infrastructure. Most of all, we need to maintain the character and feel of downtown.”
The next meeting on the Upper Machias Bay master plan is scheduled for Jan. 12, with formal recommendations to be presented at a public meeting Feb. 23.
We will continue reporting on the essential work to protect Downeast communities in the new year and beyond.
We wish you, our readers, a very happy 2026, and encourage you to share this newsletter with family members and friends.
They can sign up on our website to have their own delivered each Saturday.
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Upper Machias Bay Master Plan moves forward nearly two years after destructive downtown
flood: At a community meeting earlier this month, residents discussed wastewater infrastructure, erosion control, emergency response and other strategies to guard against future flooding. Read this story by Evan W. Houk
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While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may.
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A local agency is offering tips for staying safe and preventing trees from falling on power lines after recent storms toppled a slew of trees throughout Downeast, causing widespread power outages. | Sunrise County Economic Council
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Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. You can reach Monitor Local editor Judy Meyer directly via email: judy@themainemonitor.org.
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