Gov. Baker tours storm damage in Quincy, Gloucester

QUINCY, MASS. (WHDH) - As Quincy works to clean up following Friday’s powerhouse nor’easter, Gov. Charlie Baker joined Mayor Thomas Koch to survey storm damage on Sunday.

The strong nor’easter pummeled Quincy, causing major flooding. There were around 500 evacuations and some high-water rescues.

“We need to make sure we do all we need to do to keep track of the damage that was done here and determine what we can get the feds to help us with,” Baker said.

Baker met with city leaders about the recovery. A preliminary estimate that emergency repairs to the city’s seawall could cost around $3.3 million. But it’s not just the wall.

“The building inspectors indicated at least a 100 homes were damaged with flood water,” Koch said. “Of those, 50 severely. And of those, he said there’s probably three or four houses that have gone off the foundation.”

Koch says the city is working to provide transitional housing for people impacted. The governor, along with many living in Quincy, say more than just repairs are needed.

“What we really need to do is talk about structural fixes,” Baker said. “Clearly the rise in sea levels and rising water temperatures, it won’t be the last time we have another 100-year storm here.”

Baker also made a point that there needs to be work done to come up with long-term solutions to address the flooding in Quincy.

Baker also spent time in Gloucester, where he visited the fire department to thank crew members. He examined damage to the seawalls in the town as well.

“We started a planning process with our colleagues in local government about a year ago on resiliency and adaptation,” Baker said. “We were expecting to have to put a plan together to deal with some of this stuff on a more permanent basis.”

Baker declared a state of emergency on Saturday.

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