Vivid memories
Explosions of sound, a landscape of beauty and destruction
From the sounds of snapping tree limbs to neighbors who shared food and heat to the unexpected joys of indoor camping, Mainers share a flood of memories.
Former city manager of Augusta’s job interview took place night of historic storm
William Bridgeo flew into Maine to interview for the open Augusta city manager’s job on, of all nights, the night of the Ice Storm of 1998, meeting with city officials as the weather took a nasty turn.
Ice storm stories & commentary
- ‘In some ways, we had it easier in the wilderness’
- ‘The storm nurtured a community spirit’
- ‘Hellish cannon-like crashing sounds occurred night after night’
- ‘For the first time in my life, I had no idea where I would be sleeping that night’
- ‘How can the Maine Turnpike be closed?’
- Our View: Ice storm of ’98 showed Mainers how life should be
Darkroom: the storm in photos
Interactive timeline of the storm
The storm’s legacy
Stronger grid a legacy of epic ice storm damage
Maine’s electric grid is better prepared 25 years later, but resiliency is a work in progress.
Will it happen again?
Climate change creates the potential for more frequent ice storms in Maine, but scientists don’t know if extreme events like the 1998 storm will become more likely.
How we covered the storm
Read the 1998 special section
The Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Journal, and Morning Sentinel compiled stories and photos in a special publication.
Watch Newsroom Live: Remembering the Ice Storm of 1998
A panel of journalists from The Portland Press Herald, the Sun Journal, the Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel share memories of covering the epic Ice Storm.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Comments are no longer available on this story