SCITUATE, MASS. (WHDH) – With this weekend’s storm expected to bring flooding to some communities on the South Shore, 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 Fire Chief John Murphy.
“We asked all our coastal residents to consider leaving. We’re not mandating it,” said Murphy. “There are going to be 20-25 foot waves in the high tide.”
Murphy said that officials 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.
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,” said Town Administrator Jim Boudreau.
The storm watch is slated to take effect late Friday night and it will remain in place through Saturday evening.
The winter storm is expected to intensify as it moves up the East Coast late Friday night. Flakes will start flying in the Bay State early Saturday morning with snow and wind ramping up by midday.
The highest risk for one foot or more of snow is across Eastern Massachusetts, including the North Shore, Boston, the South Shore, and the South Coast. Total snow accumulations of 18 to 24 inches is possible in those areas.
Visit the 7Weather page for the latest storm updates.
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