Powerful storm surges, coinciding with the monthly astronomical high tide, are flooding low-lying streets in Portland and other coastal communities.

A storm caused flooding and road closures in New Hampshire's White Mountains and North Country, with ongoing concerns about rising river levels and dam operations.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies were working with local safety officials on cleanup and recovery.

However, numerous fishermen say the assessment of a decline in the stock doesn't match what they're seeing on the water, where haddock appear to them to be plentiful.

State scientists are testing the water for a toxic blue-green algae bloom at Twin Brook after tests showed 2 dogs had algae-related toxicity after swimming there Aug. 21.

Eight counties on the coast have gone from moderate to severe drought status since last week, according to the latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Meanwhile, almost one-third of the state remains in moderate drought, and wells across the state are beginning to run dry.

The rate of dead seal strandings in Maine is about three times the normal rate for the summer and is close to 60. Most of the seals that have been stranded this summer have been found dead, NOAA said. The dead seals have included gray seals and harbor seals.

Climate change is keeping temperatures higher in the fall, setting up browntail-moth caterpillars to boom in summer. Their hairs are barbed and hollow and there’s a reservoir of a toxin inside.

The black substance was staining the feet of people at the beach, prompting one local resident to alert state officials.

A recent spate of attacks on humans and pets by foxes in Topsham may be in part due to a new strain of rabies. As of April 18, there have been five such attacks in Topsham this year. State Veterinarian Michele Walsh theorizes a rabies strain more associated with raccoons has begun infecting gray foxes.

Exterminators are fielding more calls about rodent activity. Rat-related calls are up 20 percent from last year; include mice and calls are up 57 percent.

Julie Dimperio Holowach, a recently retired fashion executive from New York City, was swimming near Bailey Island on Monday afternoon when she was attacked.

Temperatures are expected to remain above 80 degrees for the rest of the week.

A large lion's mane jellyfish was found on the shore on Peaks Island, Maine, over the weekend that measured in at a whopping five feet.

Visitors to the waterfront near the New England Aquarium around 12:30 p.m. had to dodge waves slamming over docks and maneuver around water pooling on walkways. Experts say the scene will probably be replayed in the future as sea levels rise.

The state's Department of Environmental Services and Fish and Game announced effective Friday, Aug. 9 the ban on harvest of shellfish due to “red tide” is lifted for all species of shellfish except surf clams.The harvest closure went into effect May 9 for the Atlantic Ocean and Hampton/Seabrook Harbor in response to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, commonly known as red tide, detected in blue mussels collected from Hampton/Seabrook

Trees and wires came down early Monday morning as rain poured down and wind whipped across Massachusetts, the National Weather Service said.

The temperature in Boston rose to 63 degrees on Friday, breaking the previous record for the day of 62, which was set in 1957.

Scientists have narrowed down the top likely causes of more than 1,400 seal deaths across New England.

The Division of Marine Fisheries is analyzing the clams and expects to have preliminary results in the coming days that might point to a cause.