Oct 06 2009
Images of Hurricane Bill Off Maine Coast
During our anniversary in August, my wife and I visited the coastal Maine town of Ogunquit as part of our annual tradition. We were aware of the approaching hurricane, and while we were nervous about the potential for weather to completely ruin our weekend together, we kept our hotel reservation and forged ahead. On the weekend of August 23rd we arrived to a completely sun-filled Maine coast and not a hint at all that a category 4 hurricane was just off the coast. To say we were shocked and pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.
The Amazing Effects of a Hurricane
We had never been anywhere near the coast when a hurricane had ever passed through this area of coastal Maine. In fact, hurricanes usually don’t - they most often head out to sea or they crash inland far South of northern New England, so we were not at all prepared for what we were about to see.
After spending a nice evening at a local restaurant and having a few drinks, we called it an early night - ready to explore Perkins Cove and the surrounding area in the morning. The next day, Sunday, when we looked out the window, we were completely mesmerized by the ocean. The first thing we noticed was that the wind on the land had obviously picked up a bit, but the sun was still shining and the temperature was relatively warm. However, as we approached the guard rail at the edge of the Perkins Cove parking lot and gazed out over the Atlantic Ocean, we just stood in absolute awe at the monstrous waves that were crashing against the rocky Maine coast. I had my SmartPhone with me, so I snapped a few shots of the approaching waves - unfortunately the small 1.5 megapixel lens did not do Hurricane Bill much justice.
We decided to walk along Marginal Way, a paved walkway that meanders along the rocky coast and heads south toward Ogunquit Beach. As we walked along the paved path, we encountered large throngs of tourists, all standing facing the tremendous spectacle that the hurricane was creating. Wave after wave loomed up and crashed up against the sharp gray, clustered rocks of the coast. The sight was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, even for a couple of locals like us. As we rounded the bend in the highest point of Marginal Way, I turned toward Ogunquit Beach and was mesmerized by the view. The giant waves were just rolling in toward shore, one after the other, almost like I would imagine the giant waves of Allied Navy ships would have appeared in their slow, destructive path toward the shores of Normandy. Again, I tried to capture the dramatic moment on camera, but my poor little phone just couldn’t manage it very well.
Unfortunately, on this same day, another drama was unfolding half a state north of us in Acadia National Park, where a poor 7 year old girl was caught too close to an unexpectedly huge wave and drowned.
While there are many areas in the United States where the spectacle of a hurricane is an expected seasonal event, up in Maine such a thing is fairly rare and unexpected - and unfortunately when such things happen, people are all too often caught unaware and underestimate the destructive and terrible force of such storms.
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