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A possible nor’easter could bring coastal flooding, beach erosion, and wind gusts up to 55 mph to the South Coast this weekend.
Although the easternmost coast of Massachusetts is expected to see the greatest impacts, National Weather Service meteorologist Hayden Frank said South Coast residents can expect to see heavy winds, including the possibility of isolated flooding, downed trees and power outages.
New Bedford officials urged residents to limit their travel Friday night and Saturday, move outdoor furniture inside, and keep pets indoors over the weekend. The CoveWalk, HarborWalk, and Fort Taber will be closed beginning Thursday at 8 p.m. “until further notice,” the city said in a news release. Trash and recycling pickup will continue as scheduled on Friday.
This weekend’s storm, expected to roll in beginning Friday night and continue into Sunday, is not just the result of a low-pressure system like most storms, Frank said — it’s actually the interaction between a low-pressure system moving northeast and a high-pressure system in Canada.
“There’s a high-pressure system over Quebec, and what results with coastal flooding, beach erosion, all the stuff that comes with it, is what we call something called a pressure gradient,” Frank said. “It’s the difference between high and low pressure, and it’s basically the atmosphere trying to balance itself out.”
The utility company Eversource led a tree-cutting demonstration Thursday ahead of the storm to show off the company’s year-round vegetation management strategy. At any given time, Eversource company sends out 100 crews to trim tree branches around critical power lines to prevent outages during storms.
Ahead of this weekend’s storm, the company sent out 144 crews, Eversource External Communications Director Olessa Stepanova said.
“The combination of strong winds and saturated ground and trees that still have lots of leaves on them, which makes them heavier, that creates a stronger risk of trees and limbs falling on electric equipment, and that’s always the leading cause of outages,” Stepanova said. “More than 90% of storm-related outages are tree related.”
Eversource is preparing for outages to concentrate on the Cape and Islands, although Stepanova said the company is continuing to track the storm’s movements to position crews where help is most needed.
“If you do lose power, the No. 1 thing is to make sure you report it,” Stepanova said. “Report it to Eversource. You can call. You can do it on the app. You can email us. Whatever is easiest.”
To report a fallen tree, New Bedford residents can call 311 or the Department of Public Infrastructure at 508-979-1550.
The nor’easter could also create rough surf and dangerous conditions for mariners, Frank said. Both the Cuttyhunk Ferry and the Seastreak Ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket ceased service Wednesday, Sept. 23 through Friday, Sept. 25, and cancellations could continue through the weekend.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement Friday morning that it would continue to monitor conditions in case it needed to close New Bedford’s Hurricane Barrier. Based on current predictions, the highest likelihood of closure would occur 8 a.m. Saturday, Chief of Public Affairs Troy Darr said in an email.
Email Brooke Kushwaha at bkushwaha@newbedfordlight.org.
Lions and Tigers and Bears oh my, this is nothing more than a normal weather event that has happened for years.