CARIBOU – The National Weather Service’s new weather forecasting office was able to issue severe thunderstorm warnings Tuesday morning shortly before the storms entered the St. John Valley in northern Maine.

The severe storms struck the St. John Valley at about 1 a.m. and were over the Presque Isle-Caribou area at about 2:30 a.m., about 15 minutes after warnings were broadcast in that area.

“It had to be one of most significant lightning displays I’ve ever seen,” Hendricus Lulofs, warning coordination meteorologist at Caribou, said Tuesday afternoon. “I’ve seen lightning storms for some time over the years.”

Lulofs said the storm generated up to 400 lightning strikes every 15 minutes as it went through Aroostook County.

The storm also caused problems for the NWS facility. Its radar site near Hodgdon was knocked out, and officials still were waiting for repairs Tuesday afternoon.

Lightning is believed to have damaged a large satellite dish at the Caribou site. Technicians were still working on it Tuesday afternoon. The Caribou facility was assisted through the problem period Tuesday by the NWS office in Gray.

Thunderstorm warnings had been issued earlier for the afternoon and evening. Meteorologists, however, saw the storms coming a short time before they entered the area. Electricity was knocked out in many areas of The County, and some radio stations were off the air for some time because of the storm.

Lulofs said people reported computers and electronic equipment not working Tuesday. He said he suspected that a lot of people in Maine had problems because of the severe power fluctuations.

The storm struck from the St. John Valley to the coast. Torrential rains dropped up to 4 inches of water in the Stockholm area. Many areas reported large hail.