SCITUATE, MASS. (WHDH) - With this weekend’s storm expected to bring flooding to some coastal communities, officials have brought in military vehicles in case evacuations are necessary.
An evacuation advisory has already been posted for residents who live along the coastline, according to Scituate Town Administer Jim Boudreau said.
“If you got to get, you got to get out today,” Boudreau said Friday. “We don’t want you traveling in the storm tomorrow.”
Town officials also sent out a list of approximately 65 local hotels that are open this week for those who do not want to stay home for the storm.
Despite the heavy snow, strong wind gusts, coastal flooding, and blizzard conditions expected to slam New England this weekend, some residents are determined to ride out the storm in their own homes.
Residents who plan to ride out the storm lined up to pick up sand bags provided by the town on Friday morning.
“I don’t leave. I stay for all of it,” Dennis Richardson said as he picked up his share of sand bags. “It’s just another day at the beach.”
Tony Soares spent Thursday putting up plywood at his daughter’s house on the water, near the historic Scituate lighthouse.
“Listen, this house has been here through the blizzard of ’78 and way before that. It’s survived a lot of that,” he said. “I expect a lot of snow, wind, probably power outages.”
“It’s really the long-term residents, the people who have been here for a long time, they know how to handle this and it’s our job to help them handle this,” Boudreau added.
Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Middlesex, Bristol, and Suffolk counties are under a blizzard warning from 12 a.m. Saturday until 12 a.m. Sunday.
Some communities in eastern Massachusetts could see an isolated 30 inches of snow, while a widespread 18-24 inches is expected.
Beach erosion and minor to moderate coastal flooding are possible during high tide at 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday. Wind gusts of more than 50 mph are also expected.
The National Weather Service warned of considerable blowing and drifting snow, along with near white out conditions at times in communities near the coast.
Visit the 7Weather page for the latest storm updates.
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