Hanson Residents - Coming Storm DATE: December 8, 2014 TIME: 8:00 AM SUBJECT: Nor’easter Monday Night Through Tuesday Situation The National Weather Service offices in Taunton and Albany are issuing bulletins on a significant coastal storm (nor’easter) that will start impacting Massachusetts on Monday night. The strongest part of the storm will be Tuesday into Tuesday night, but the storm may linger into Wednesday, and possibly longer. The main impacts of this storm will be a period of heavy wet snow, heavy rain and associated flooding, and strong damaging winds. The National Weather Service has high confidence that the coastal storm will impact Massachusetts, but the details of the forecast likely will change as the storm approaches. Watches & Warnings A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, western Hampden, and northern Worcester Counties. In these areas, there is a possibility of 6” or more of snow. A Flood Watch has been issued for eastern and southeastern Massachusetts, with the exception of the Cape and Islands. A High Wind Watch has been issued for the south coast of Massachusetts, including the Cape and Islands, and the Cape Ann area. The following graphic shows the current watches that have been issued by the National Weather Service. Impacts Heavy Wet Snow There is the potential for accumulating wet snow, sleet and freezing rain across Berkshire County, northwest, and north-central Massachusetts, with a possibility of 6” or more of accumulation. The heavy wet snow may result in downed branches/limbs and power lines, causing isolated power outages. See the following graphic for the snow forecast for Massachusetts (with the exception of Berkshire County): See the following graphic for the snow forecast for Berkshire County: Coastal Flooding Pockets of minor coastal flooding are possible during the time of high tide, which is generally around noon Tuesday. Surges of 2 to 2.5 ft. above the astronomical tide are expected. East-facing beaches have the greatest risk for flooding. Strongest winds are expected a few hours after the high tide, but if they arrive faster than expected, there will be a potential for a few spots with moderate coastal flooding. Strong Winds Damaging wind gusts to 60 mph are possible along the south coast Tuesday morning, shifting northward, reaching Cape Ann late Tuesday afternoon or early evening. Gusts up to 40 mph may occur in the higher terrain in the central and western parts of the state. The strong winds may result in downed limbs and power lines, and isolated power outages. Heavy Rain and Flooding Heavy rainfall of 2.00” to 2.50” inches is expected beginning toward daybreak Tuesday and continuing into Tuesday evening. The majority of the rainfall may occur in a 6-hour period from 1 PM to 7 PM on Tuesday. Isolated thunderstorms are also possible, especially in RI and southeast MA in this time period. The heavy rainfall may cause pockets of urban flash flooding. See the following graphic for potential rainfall totals: Timing The National Weather Service is forecasting that the brunt of the storm will hit Tuesday into Tuesday evening with most impacts occurring during this time frame. However, this could be a long duration storm with lingering but lesser effects into Wednesday and Thursday. MEMA Operations The State Emergency Operations Center is operating at Level 1 (Steady State Monitoring). MEMA will continue to monitor the forecast for this coastal storm and will disseminate Situational Awareness Statements as necessary. The next Situational Awareness Statement on this storm likely will be issued Monday afternoon. MEMA will make a decision by Monday evening on whether to activate the State Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday at Level 2 (Partial Activation). Appropriate agencies and organizations that may be needed to staff Emergency Support Functions will be notified as soon as a decision is made. Stay Informed For additional information and updated forecasts, visit: weather.gov/boston (National Weather Service Taunton) weather.gov/albany (National Weather Service Albany) spc.noaa.gov (Storm Prediction Center) mema.mapsonline.net/public.html (MEMA’s Power Outage Website) Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is powered by a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app (called Massachusetts Alerts) onto your smartphone, visit: mass.gov/mema/mobileapp. Kurt Schwartz Undersecretary, Homeland Security & Emergency Management Director, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:30:48 +0000
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