Storm Advisory #1: Coastal Storm Preparations

Please be aware that a fast moving Nor’easter will likely impact Scituate Thursday morning into Friday of this week. The storm is forecast to form east of Florida tomorrow and turn north along the east coast with its closest approach east of Nantucket Thursday afternoon. Start your plans now, especially homes in our coastal and flood prone areas. We will likely be impacted with gale force winds initially from the northeast backing to the north and eventually from the west. The tides are extremely high (12.1’) and will increase the likelihood of moderate coastal flooding. We will know more on the severity of the storm by Wednesday at noon.

Initially the snow and coastal flooding will be the primary concerns. Following the peak of the storm we will likely have blizzard conditions in the afternoon with extreme cold returning. Estimates are for 8-12" of snow by Thursday night and a potential wind chill of 15-35 degrees below zero lasting through much of the weekend. Wind gusts are forecast to be in excess of 60MPH which will likely bring trees and limbs down causing moderate power outages. Please prepare for the potential of power outages lasting several days.

We encourage all of our citizens and visitors to stay informed and start planning for a potential significant impact. Secure your property tomorrow as we get a short break from the extreme cold. Make a plan in case you need to evacuate from our coastal neighborhoods. If evacuations are necessary we ask our inland citizens to invite your coastal friends to stay with you during the storm. We also have multiple hotels listed on our Town Emergency Management website and would recommend early booking; you can always cancel the reservation if evacuations are not necessary. Town shelters will be available if needed; the Scituate High School is our primary shelter.

Learning from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma; water, food, and gasoline go quickly. Make sure your generators are working and that you have sufficient fuel for them. Again there is the potential for power outages that could last for several days. You should have enough food and water for a minimum of three days and please get your prescriptions refilled

The Scituate Emergency Management Team is monitoring the storm closely and will provide updates as we get more accurate information. Now is the time to plan and start taking action to prepare for a potential impact from this storm. Please consult the Town website scituatema.gov for hotels, emergency kits, and all other storm guidance you may need to be prepared.

Scituate Public Safety and Emergency Management Team is prepared to provide our citizens and visitors with the guidance necessary for everyone to stay safe with this impending storm. The next update will be at 1PM tomorrow. Please get prepared for this significant event.