SACO/WELLS (NEWS CENTER Maine) The third in a series of high tides from the March nor'easter slammed the southern Maine coast Saturday.
The noon high tide was predicted to be a 13-foot tide in Portland. The combination of astronomical high tide and two feet of surge from the offshore storm created a nearly worst-case scenario for the third round of flooding.
In Saco, this high tide was by far the worst for Ferry Beach and Camp Ellis, according to residents.
Homes on the beach near Fairhaven Avenue were slammed by waves for three hours. One suffered damage on Friday and continued to be battered Saturday.
In Camp Ellis, North Avenue was washed away by waves, for the first time since The Perfect Storm in 1991, according to nearby homeowners.
In Wells, there was a similar damage.
The Wells Police Department says public works crews were clearing debris from a section of Webhanet Drive that remained closed late Saturday afternoon.
The department posted a Facebook message saying one home in the area had suffered structural damage overnight but did not have a tally of other damage.
Homeowners say a storm surge rushing through streets as it did for about an hour around noon is very unusual, even during storms.
"I've never seen it do this," said Sara Shelley, who's lived in Wells Beach for more than 50 years.
"I'm very concerned about my neighbors, especially the ones not here right now to secure their properties."
The next high tide is at midnight when minor flooding is likely to occur.