Between three and five inches of rain fell across York, Cumberland, Androscoggin, Kennebec counties and through southern Somerset County Tuesday. Some towns in southern Maine have reported flooding and road closures, but the damage doesn't appear to be significant so far.
Andy Pohl, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said the final totals will likely be higher by Wednesday morning. The heaviest rain had passed in southern and central Maine by late Tuesday afternoon, but additional scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected later in the evening.
Flood warnings should remain in effect through Tuesday> evening, Pohl said.
"Later tonight and into tomorrow, we'll probably see some of the rivers, they'll be approaching high water marks," he said. "Maybe not flood stage, but possibly. Some of them will come close to floods, like the Presumpscot River."
Heavy rain is moving into Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties late Tuesday afternoon. The Weather Service in Caribour said trained spotters have reported some flooding in Bangor, and surrounding towns may see some minor stream flooding and overflow due to poor drainage in the streets.
Tuesday's rain is one of the more significant events in Maine during a summer with well above normal precipitation, Pohl said, but the damage appears to be relatively minor.
In Falmouth, a sink hole has closed a section of Babbidge Road. The road will remain closed until the Maine Department of Transportation has a plan to repair it, the town said.
Standing water on sections of at least three roads in Gray made travel difficult on Tuesday afternoon. Town manager Nate Rudy said public works and public safety officials were out placing signs to warn drivers.
"We're going to need to wait for the water to flow out," he said. The volume fell so quickly, and we're, increasingly in summer and winter, seeing these storm events that are not what we've been used to in the past."
Nearly five inches of rain had fallen in Gray as of early Tuesday afternoon. New Gloucester received a similar amount. Town officials there say the rain was more of a nuisance, with some minor road washouts earlier this morning but no significant damage.
