Bracing for flooding's next wave
Northeaster seen renewing woes
Waterlogged and flood-weary towns across the region are bracing today for a potentially vicious northeaster that meteorologists said could bring renewed flooding while pummeling the area with roaring winds and more rainfall.
Coastal towns yesterday mobilized extra emergency workers and put boats, pumps, and other storm-related hardware on standby. Local officials said they expected downed trees and power lines, as well as minor ocean surges and spot flooding, but were particularly concerned about today's second high tide, expected about 5 p.m., when the storm's winds and rain could cause even more extensive damage.
''If things get bad during that second high tide, then we could be in for some serious problems," said Revere Fire Chief Gene Doherty. ''We'll prepare for the worst, then watch and wait."
The northeaster -- an expected conflagration of three storm systems similar to the 1991 ''perfect storm" portrayed in a popular book and movie -- is expected to dump 2 to 3 inches of rain on most areas, with some isolated areas getting up to 5 inches, the National Weather Service reported. The expected rainfall puts most area rivers at risk of overflowing, including the Merrimack, Charles, Neponset, Blackstone, and Pawtuxet. Much of Eastern Massachusetts is on flood watch all day today. Coastal towns, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket are on coastal flood watch until evening.
''There's potential for flooding in all the river basins in the state if this storm maxes out," said Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. ''And with strong winds, it increases the chance people will lose power."
The storm is expected to produce winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour, with occasional gusts up to 65 miles per hour. A high wind warning is in effect today until 6 p.m. for much of Eastern Massachusetts. This could produce 3-foot ocean surges and 20-foot-high seas. In addition, hills around Worcester and the Berkshires could get trace amounts of snow, said forecasters.
In Winthrop, local officials huddled yesterday to plan for potential storm-related problems, said Fire Chief Larry Powers.
Powers said he anticipated flooding, adding that the Department of Public Works drained a large pond to reduce the likelihood of flooding.
''They've lowered the level for that pond," said Powers. ''Beyond that, our major concern is I think we'll get a little bit of flooding, but nothing significant because the tides tend to be low. Our major concern is the wind."
Powers said he is worried that high waves could attract onlookers, who would be endangered by the grapefruit-sized chunks of rock storm winds are expected to hurl at the shore.
''They could certainly injure somebody if not kill them," Powers said.
The northeaster was expected to get a boost from Hurricane Wilma, which battered Mexico and Florida, then headed northeast, into the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, it absorbed another storm system, Tropical Depression Alpha. High winds and storm energy from the western edge of this combined system fed into the northeaster, which approached New England from the west last night, meteorologists said.
''Wilma is assisting the fueling of a new, intense storm system that will be gradually developing along the mid-Atlantic Coast" and will cross Cape Cod tonight, said meteorologist Walter Drag, with the National Weather Service. ''Certainly it's going to affect air travel, and travel between the islands will have to be interrupted. The seas are going to be huge."
In 1991, three storms combined similarly to form the so-called perfect storm, which killed six fishermen at sea and caused millions in damage to coastal towns. Predictions yesterday were that this year's version would not be as severe. Still, Coast Guard planes yesterday took to the air to broadcast warnings to fishing boats about the oncoming system.
The storm comes at the end of a particularly soggy month for the region. Massachusetts usually averages 2 to 3 inches of rain in October. This month, however, some areas have gotten nearly 14 inches of water. Boston has had 7.59 inches, while Worcester has gotten 13.46 inches of rain so far this month. Still, these numbers are not records: In 1955, Boston got 17.09 inches and Worcester 18.68 inches.
In Hull, Fire Chief Francis Lyons yesterday said the town, on a peninsula, was prepared for the worst.
''We've got boats, but hopefully we won't need to use them," he said.
Meanwhile, on Nantucket, fire chief and emergency management director Everett Pierce said the town was not recommending evacuation, but asked residents to remove loose items from their yards.
''Nantucket electric has brought out two additional line crews and a tree crew to the island," Pierce said. ''We were predicted to get winds up to 70 to 75 miles an hour. Other than that, it's just another nor'easter."
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority plans to run two emergency electric generators at its Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant throughout the storm as a safeguard against power outages.
During the rainstorm Oct. 15, the plant was forced to dump about 25 million gallons of untreated sewage into Quincy Bay from its Nut Island sewage facility after a storm-related transformer accident in South Boston caused a power failure that overloaded the system.
Workers finished upgrading a generator Friday to help prevent a similar incident.
''We should be able to keep the plant running no matter what," said MWRA executive director Frederick Laskey. ''If the rain is at the high end of what's predicted, we're going to have our hands full."
Globe staff writer Peter Schworm contributed to this story. 