Coastal Flood Watch, Areal Flood Watch As of 5:17 am EST on March 13, 2010
... Coastal Flood Watch in effect from Sunday morning through late Sunday night...
The National Weather Service in Taunton has issued a coastal Flood Watch... which is in effect from Sunday morning through late Sunday night.
Another major noreaster is heading for southern New England and is going to result in at least minor coastal flooding with Road closures an hour either side of most of the high tide cycles Sunday and Monday.
Despite low astronomical tides... a storm surge of 2 to 2.5 feet is expected for most of these tide cycles. This combined with waves of 20 to 25 feet pounding the eastern Massachusetts coast may result in pockets of moderate flooding with infrastructure damage.
This watch may also need to eventually be expanded to include Cape Cod and Nantucket islands when there is more certainty regarding the coinciding of the surge and high waves with the high tides.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A coastal Flood Watch means that the potential exists for moderate or major coastal flooding. Moderate coastal flooding produces widespread flooding of vulnerable shore roads and/or basements due to the height of storm tide and/or wave action. Numerous Road closures are needed. Lives may be at risk for people who put themselves in harms way. Isolated structural damage may be observed.
Major coastal flooding is considered severe enough to cause at least scattered structural damage along with widespread flooding of vulnerable shore roads and/or basements. Some vulnerable homes will be severely damaged or destroyed. Numerous roads are impassable... some with washouts severe enough to be life threatening if one attempted to cross on foot or by vehicle. Some neighborhoods will be isolated. Evacuation of some neighborhoods is necessary.
All tide heights are relative to mean lower low water. Time of high total tides are approximate to the nearest hour.
... Flood Watch now in effect from this evening through Monday morning...
The Flood Watch is now in effect for
* portions of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire... including the following areas... in Massachusetts... central Middlesex MA... eastern Essex MA... eastern Franklin MA... eastern Hampden MA... eastern Hampshire MA... eastern Norfolk MA... eastern Plymouth MA... northern Bristol MA... northern Middlesex MA... northern Worcester MA... southeast Middlesex MA... southern Bristol MA... southern Plymouth MA... southern Worcester MA... Suffolk MA... western Essex MA... western Franklin MA... western Hampden MA... western Hampshire MA... western Norfolk MA and western Plymouth MA. In southern New Hampshire... Cheshire NH... eastern Hillsborough NH and western and central Hillsborough NH.
* From this evening through Monday morning
* one of the heaviest widespread single storm long duration rain events since Spring 2006 appears imminent... especially for eastern Massachusetts... the east slopes of both the Worcester Hills and berkshire's into parts of Hillsborough County.
* Three to possibly as much as 6 inches of wind swept rain is forecast for eastern Massachusetts to near Nashua New Hampshire with 2 to 4 inches elsewhere in the watch area. There is high probability of rainfall exceeding 4 inches along the Interstate 95 corridor of Massachusetts.
* Urban and poor-drainage flooding will likely make some flood prone roadways impassable. Small streams and rivers will likely respond strongly as well... and could exceed bank-full levels. In addition... due to the saturated grounds... basement flooding could be experienced as well as scattered power outages from uprooted trees in the rain softened ground.
* Runoff from snow melt in the hills is an unknown wild card since temperatures will be just above freezing throughout the storm.
* Rain or mixed precipitation will taper off Monday.
* So while the bulk of the rain will have occurred by Sunday evening... additional rainfall Sunday night and Monday will contribute to further runoff response on the larger rivers.
* For now... there seems to be a moderate to high probability for a repeat episode of the late February flooding but unexpected changes in the amounts will produce differing results.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts.
You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.
High Wind Watch As of 4:02 am EST on March 13, 2010
... High wind watch now in effect from 1 PM EST this afternoon through Sunday morning...
The high wind watch is now in effect from 1 PM EST this afternoon through Sunday morning.
Strong east to northeast winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to near 55 mph are likely to develop late this afternoon or more likely tonight. However... there is potential for stronger wind gusts up to 60 mph across portions of eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The winds will diminish late Sunday morning but a second round of 45 to 50 mph northeast wind gusts is expected late Sunday night into Monday.
Once forecasters are sure of warning threshold winds... the watch will be converted.
The combination of strong wind and rain softened ground could lead to uprooted trees tonight and long periods of power outages.
Strongest winds should occur in this portion of the watch area between 10 PM tonight and 10 am Sunday.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A high wind watch means the potential exists for strong damaging winds to develop in the mentioned areas. These strong winds are capable of Downing trees and power lines as well as causing property damage. If a High Wind Warning is issued... stay inside and away from windows.
Tonight -
Rain. Patchy fog. Very windy. Near steady temperature in the lower 40s. Northeast winds 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
Sunday -
Rain. Patchy fog in the morning. Windy. Near steady temperature in the lower 40s. Northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
Sunday Night -
Rain. Windy. Near steady temperature in the upper 30s. Northeast winds 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
Monday -
Rain. Windy. Near steady temperature in the upper 30s. Northeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
Monday Night -
Partly cloudy. A chance of rain in the evening. Blustery with lows in the mid 30s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Tuesday through Thursday Night -
Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 50s. Lows in the upper 30s.
Friday -
Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s.
Marine Forecasts
Local summary, Wind Speeds and High and Low Tides
Coastal Flood Watch, Areal Flood Watch As of 5:17 am EST on March 13, 2010
