FAIRHAVEN, MASS. (WHDH) - Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued across Massachusetts as Isaias continues to make its way up the eastern coast.
RELATED: Track the storm on interactive radar
Warnings are in effect for parts of Berkshire, Franklin, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Hampshire, Hampden, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.
A flash flood watch has also been issued for Western Massachusetts, while Southern Bristol and South Plymouth counties are under a coastal flood advisory from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Restaurant owners in Massachusetts are concerned about preserving their outdoor dining spaces with fierce wind gusts and torrential rain in the forecast.
In the North End, restaurants are using cement and stone to hold down tables, umbrellas, and chairs.
“We’re concerned about the wind,” said neighborhood resident Stephen Fasano. “The wind is powerful. It’ll pick up some of the stuff that’s out there.”
Boat owners are taking the opportunity to hunker down as Isaias races its way north.
“We’ll tie the boat down, make sure it doesn’t go up against the dock,” Rick Crenmayer told 7NEWS.
“If we get some gusts at 70 miles an hour there will be some damage to some aspects of people’s boats. Things breaking loose and beating against boats,” boat owner John Studley explained.
Isaias is currently tracked to land over the western edge of the state. Downpours are expected in the area, but the storm could also bring potentially damaging winds and minor coastal flooding.
Utility companies like National Grid and Eversource have already called in hundreds of crews to assist in tree removal and power line repair.
“We do anticipate that we’ll probably have some outages, scattered outages around our service area here in Massachusetts,” Eversource spokesman Reid Lamberty said. “And we want our customers to also anticipate that as well.”
Some people anticipating the powerful storms say they think they’ll be OK.
“I’m a meteorologist so I am looking forward to it,” Rick Crenmayer said. “The wilder the better for me.”
But, when it comes to New England weather, it is best to err on the side of caution.
“Mother nature can change at any minute so we’re always concerned,” Studley said. “You don’t wanna lose your boat, especially considering it’s a tough market to replace it.”
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