Region braces for Hanna's arrival, fury

Up to 6 inches of rain, heavy winds expected

Boaters and public safety officials prepared for today's arrival of Tropical Storm Hanna, securing moorings and coordinating safety plans in anticipation of the first strong tropical storm to hit the area this season.

The storm was expected to pass the coast of the Carolinas early this morning before creeping toward the Massachusetts coastline, with heavy rain and wind gusts as high as 60 miles per hour.

Hanna will batter the area late this afternoon into tomorrow morning, dumping up to six inches of rain before racing northeast.

Safety officials spent yesterday coordinating emergency-response plans, and harbormasters warned boaters to pull their vessels into coves or closer to shore in preparation for a pounding surge.

Harwich Harbormaster Thomas E. Leach said boaters were taking the forecasts seriously. He spent yesterday afternoon securing moorings and tightening rigs on sailboats that have the potential to release during strong winds. In past storms, boats have drifted and ended up on Route 28, he said.

"It's something we have to pay attention to," he said. "People aren't just looking to have their way on this. We haven't had a good, strong storm all summer, and to err on the side of safety and precaution could be a good thing."

Hanna is not expected to carry the force it did when it reached hurricane strength over the Bahamas. The storm killed more than 500 people as it roared through the Caribbean, according to an Associated Press report.

Still, the storm had strong winds reaching hurricane force as it passed the Florida coast and crawled north toward the Carolinas.

An outer band of Hanna was expected to reach the Massachusetts coast this morning, dumping up to 3 inches of rain. That band will move, allowing for a clear day before the body of Hanna reaches the area in the evening, dumping another 3 to 4 inches overnight. The storm is about 310 miles long.

The area will see a sustained wind of 30 to 40 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 60 miles per hour along the coast, said Nicole Belk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton.

She said the storm surge along the Southeastern Massachusetts coast could reach up to 3 feet during high tide, expected at about 6:30 a.m. on Nantucket.

Peter Judge, spokesman for Massachusetts Emergency Management, said about 20 safety officials coordinated response plans and sent safety notifications to coastal towns yesterday afternoon. He said the area is expected to be spared the might that Hanna had at the onset, but the storm could still cause flooding and other problems.

"It could have an impact certainly with power lines and trees going down," Judge said yesterday.

He said the state's emergency management headquarters in Framingham will be staffed with extra dispatchers and safety officials today. He said no decision on activating the center was made yesterday, but instead, officials will remain on standby and will assess the storm today, during the clear spell in the afternoon.

"We have a few extra eyes and ears and that will determine if we have to bring in" additional staff, he said.

National Grid and NStar, the area's two major power suppliers, said they were preparing for the storm, putting response crews on notice and coordinating plans with public safety officials.

David Graves, a spokesman for National Grid, which represents 1.7 million customers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, said company officials are expected to have conference calls throughout the day, following the path of the storm and discussing company responses.

His company also released tips reminding customers to keep flashlights and at least one battery-operated radio ready in case of an outage, and to shut off all electrical devices that were on when the power went off - except for one, so that the customer will known when power is restored.

The Hurricane Cup, a boat race from Hyannis to Nantucket scheduled for today, was postponed until next week, Leach said.

Many boats on Cape Cod have left local ports because of the end of the season, and yacht clubs have closed, said Leach, Harwich's harbormaster. Still, people were getting out in the weather. Yesterday, Leach's staff rescued three people from a catamaran that capsized a mile off the Herring River.

"People are still recreating around here, and the water's still warm," he said.

Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com.