Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center do not expect Hurricane Lee to make landfall in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, though parts of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket could experience coastal flooding, heavy winds and rain from Friday night through Saturday. In Rhode Island, Gov. Dan McKee said at a press conference on Friday that any effects associated with the storm should be minimal, though ocean currents and riptides could still create dangerous conditions at local beaches.
“We are smiling when we don’t have to deal with weather patterns that could potentially cause property damage,” McKee said.
In Massachusetts, forecasters predict the easternmost parts of the state will experience stronger winds and bigger storm surges. Gusts up to 60 miles per hour are expected on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, along with one to three inches of rain.
“I am declaring a state of emergency ahead of anticipated impacts from Hurricane Lee, to ensure that the state can mobilize quickly to respond,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement on Friday.
The governor is activating up to 50 National Guard members to provide support for storm preparations and response, according to Healey’s office. The storm is expected to knock down trees and branches, which may cause power outages.
The statement continued: “The most significant coastal flooding is expected to impact the northern shoreline of Cape Cod (bay side) and Nantucket around the early morning high tide Saturday.”
The South Coast of Massachusetts appears likely to be spared the worst of this damage. Still, many residents of coastal neighborhoods have been watching the forecast carefully and making preparations.
On a barrier beach in Westport, Rich DiBonaventura hired a local farmer to tow his mobile home to a farm further inland.
“We’re very exposed, so the safest thing is to pull off, and that’s what we’ve decided to do,” DiBonaventura said.
Many of his neighbors on East Beach Road, which hosts a mobile home community six months out of the year, are staying put and waiting out the storm. Like much of the South Coast region, the spit of land they live on faces south, so residents are expecting the heavy gusts of wind coming from the north to blow the water away from their stretch of shoreline.
“I’m telling everybody to relax,” said Bob Lopes, another mobile home owner. “The wind’s out of the north. It’s not coming through on a full moon tide like the last storm. I don’t know how much sleep I’ll get with the wind, but I’m sleeping here tonight.”
A few miles away on Clark’s Cove in New Bedford, Brook Biddle is also staying put in his small fisherman’s cottage on Padnaram Ave — even though the street is prone to flooding and located on the wrong side of New Bedford’s hurricane barrier.
“We’ve heard there’s a big storm surge, but to me that’s going to be more of a north of the Cape phenomenon,” Biddle said. “Where we are right here, when the wind blows hard from the north, it blows the water out of the bay, which helps us. So I think we’re good to go on this one.”
Harbormasters up and down the coast have advised boat owners to take extra precautions to secure vessels to their docks and moorings, or pull them out of the water altogether.
“Your boat is likely made of plastic, metal and wood. It can be repaired or replaced more easily than your life or limbs,” Dartmouth’s deputy harbormaster said in an announcement about Hurricane Lee. “Please use extraordinary care and safety in preparing well in advance of the storm. We don’t need you to put your life, or ours, in jeopardy in the face of any weather. At some practical point, rescue equipment, vessels and personnel will be removed from the hazardous waterfront environment and will not be available to rescue you or your property during any storm.”
Many pleasure boats seeking safe refuge during the storm are headed to shipyards and marinas in New Bedford and Fairhaven, which share the only harbor in Massachusetts protected by a hurricane barrier.
Fishermen have also rushed home before the storm. New England’s biggest fishing grounds are located close to the projected path of the hurricane.
“The boats that have been offshore, most of them are heading in to safe port because George’s Bank is going to get hit hard,” said Eric Hansen, owner of a small fishing fleet in New Bedford. “Overall, New Bedford is basically gearing up for a typical nor’easter winter storm.”
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) encourages all residents and visitors to visit Mass.gov/KnowYourZone to learn if you live or work in a Hurricane Evacuation Zone; assemble an emergency kit with supplies like food, water, a flashlight, and radio; prepare for power outages; and stay informed by enabling Wireless Emergency Alerts on your cell phone.
Rhode Island residents can find weather and transportation updates, tips on preparing for severe weather, and a floodplain mapping tool at riema.ri.gov.
