Maine’s seashore cities have seen a sluggish begin to summer time
June’s heavy rainfall has affected a few of Maine’s largest industries, together with farming and tourism. Within the vacationer haven of Outdated Orchard Seashore, companies reported seeing a noticeably slower June. However enterprise homeowners and seashore goers are longing for sunny skies in August.
Each summer time, almost 5 million vacationers pack the sandy seashores of Outdated Orchard Seashore. The small coastal city of about 9,000 residents traces its roots as a preferred journey vacation spot way back to the 1820s. However this summer time bought off to a rocky begin.
In June and a part of July, heavy rainfall washed out almost each sunny day.
“A number of of our companies right here on the town are down due to the rain and that features eating places, motels and a few of our campgrounds, too,” mentioned Kim Howard, government director of the Outdated Orchard Seashore Chamber of Commerce.
Howard mentioned it’s too early to know the way a lot enterprise is down.
However Michael Rioux of the Sandpiper Resort has by no means seen something prefer it in his three many years working within the resort business.
“I’ve by no means seen a Fourth of July that sluggish and having an nearly empty car parking zone. I believe we had perhaps three rooms rented, which is remarkable on Fourth of July evening. It’s positively had an affect in addition to friends wanting to go away early and attempting to get their a reimbursement. It places us in a tricky place as a result of it’s such a brief season with excessive bills and rising prices,” he mentioned.
Pete Duhamel mentioned his enterprise can also be means down. He runs a preferred restaurant known as Dewey’s that has served the Outdated Orchard Seashore group for 25 years.
“The rain in June has reduce my enterprise down in half no less than. This has most likely been the worst 12 months I’ve ever had your entire time I’ve been right here,” he mentioned.
And that’s not all.
Paul Golder, the president of the favored amusement park Palace Playland, mentioned some rides will not be in a position to function in sure situations.
“It looks like even when it’s not raining, we’re nonetheless getting lots of moisture to the purpose the place it type of interferes with the operation of among the machines right here. We’d have to shut issues down ’reason behind the condensation within the air on high of the additional rain we’ve been getting,” he mentioned.
Golder stays hopeful as a result of June is often a sluggish time for companies, however mid-July and August is peak season. And a few vacationers aren’t letting the climate spoil their plans.
“Massachusetts has had additionally a really wet summer time up to now, so we lucked out. The climate outlook for this week is gorgeous. We’re simply very lucky,” mentioned Tiffany Bell of Boston, who visited Outdated Orchard Seashore along with her household final week.
A current examine from Dartmouth School revealed that warming local weather situations will enhance excessive precipitation within the Northeast by 52 % by the top of the century.
For now, there are sunny skies forward, and companies say issues seem like choosing up.
“I’d say that whereas June was a wet, slower month, all indications are that issues have bounced again,” mentioned Becky Jacobson, the interim government director of HospitalityMaine.
Jacobson mentioned July appears like it’ll wind up being a strong month, and everybody who caters to vacationers continues to be wanting ahead to August.
This text seems by means of a media partnership with Maine Public.
