Storm causes damage, outages

A fast-moving thunderstorm caught businesses and residents by surprise

The storm knocked down a large locust tree branch at Owl and Pussycat Farm in Penobscot. Photo courtesy of Owl and Pussycat Farm.

July 22, 2026

By Jessi Hardy

STONINGTON—Maine's famously unpredictable weather lived up to its reputation on July 16, changing within minutes from bright, warm and humid to ominously dark skies. Towns across the Blue Hill Peninsula experienced a thundering windstorm that caused damage throughout the area.

Towns across the peninsula reported downed trees and power outages when the storm rolled through the area around 2:00 p.m., lasting approximately 20 minutes. Severe weather warnings were broadcast over phones and radios with the threat of severe thunderstorms and high winds.

Versant reported that 15,000 customers were left without power. CMP reported another 60,000 customers without power.

In the Deer Isle-Stonington area, some residents were left without power for upward of 52 hours due to damage caused by the storm. Broken tree limbs also disrupted cell phone and internet service.

Right: Deer Isle Fire Department Chief Brent Morey said a fallen limb near Deer Isle Village caught fire and burned into the night, causing outages. Photo courtesy of Brent Morey. Left: The wind swirled on the Causeway Beach during the Thursday storm. Photo courtesy of Katie Proper.

Businesses scrambled to adjust. In Stonington, Stonecutters Kitchen opened at 2:00 p.m. but their internet was down–meaning only cash or check payments could be processed. Nearby, Fifield Lobster reported that they lost barrels and a tarp in the storm.

The weather buoy off of Stonington recorded wind of 27 knots/31mph, with gusts up to 35 knots/40.2mph. Approximately 0.8 inches of rain was reported.

“Although no official wind measurement was recorded in Deer Isle or Stonington, radar and the pattern of damage suggest the strongest gusts were likely around 50 to 60 mph, with isolated higher gusts possible,” said Jason Nappi, an independent meteorologist who is developing a digital weather platform to serve Maine and New England.

Many residents described the event as a microburst on social media, but weather officials have not confirmed that classification. Nappi describes a microburst as “a brief but powerful burst of straight-line wind caused by air rapidly descending from a thunderstorm and spreading outward when it reaches the ground.”

“There has been no National Weather Service confirmation that a microburst occurred in Deer Isle or Stonington,” Nappi said.

“The July 16 event should not be described as a confirmed microburst without further analysis,” he said.

Nappi said that without a formal damage survey or a review of radar data, the classification will remain undetermined.

Damage that occurred in Hancock County on July 16 has officially been classified only as general thunderstorm-wind damage, he said.

Equipment on the Stonington town dock was strewn about during the storm, which lasted approximately 20-30 minutes. Video courtesy of Will Cruz.