Crackpot Chronicles

UPDATE: Kyle hung a right, softened up and missed the midcoast, dropping a bit of rain, but that's all.

Coastal Maine is under the first hurricane watch in 17 years. I'm battening down the hatches.

EASTPORT, Maine (AP) - A rare tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were posted for parts of the Maine coast on Saturday as Hurricane Kyle roared north toward the region with a threat of conditions similar to one of New England's nor'easter storms.

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The hurricane center posted a hurricane watch from Stonington, at roughly the center of the Maine coast, to Eastport, on the border with New Brunswick, Canada. A tropical storm warning extended from Port Clyde, about 50 miles northeast of Portland, to Eastport. A tropical storm watch extended from Port Clyde to Cape Elizabeth, an area that includes Portland, Maine's largest city.

A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions, with winds of at least 74 mph, are possible within 36 hours. A tropical storm warning means conditions for that type of storm, with winds of 39 to 73 mph, are expected within the next 24 hours. A tropical storm watch means those conditions are possible within 36 hours.

Kyle could make landfall near Eastport, possibly late Sunday, the hurricane center said.