Maine coastal flood of February 2, 1976

A major business section of Bangor, Maine's third largest city, was flooded with depths of water up to 12 feet on February 2, 1976. The flood elevation was 17.46 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929 at the Washington Street bridge over Kenduskeag Stream and was the third highest known flood elevation since 1846. The flood, which was due to an ocean surge coming up the Penobscot River, is the first documented major flood of this type in Bangor. This report contains flood elevations in the city of Bangor and along the coast of Maine, east of the Kennebec River. Also included are data on meteorological, hydrological, and marine conditions associated with the intense winter storm.