CAPE COD – A major nor’easter is affecting the Cape today with snow changing to rain and potentially damaging winds. Check this article for the latest storm news:
11 p.m. update: Only about 325 customers out in widely scattered outages.
9 p.m. update: Power outage report: Barnstable 800, Falmouth and Dennis about 300 each, Chahtam 140, Dennis and Harwich 120 each.
7 p.m. update: All warnings dropped except for a Coastal Flood Advisory for high tide tonight. National Weather Service is advising that although the bulk of the snowfall has ceased, a combination of light snow, sleet and rain will linger across the area. Any locations above freezing are expected to drop back below freezing later tonight and remain there through tomorrow morning. This will lead to continued slippery conditions on untreated area roadways and walkways. Please drive carefully and allow extra time if traveling overnight or in the early morning.
Power outage report: Falmouth 3.300, Barnstable 950, Yarmouth 418, Dennis 214, Mashpee 185, and Chatham 135.
Orleans Police invite you to turn up your volume and listen to the roar of the ocean. The only thing missing is the smell of salt in the air. Taken before sunset, at the conclusion of their stormy day at Nauset Beach, off the main boardwalk:
6 p.m. update: New power outages to report: 2,500 in Falmouth, 1,300 in Barnstable, 800 in Sandwich. Elsewhere 418 in Yarmouth, 380 in Harwich, 200 each in Mashpee and Dennis and 135 in Chatham.
Some dramatic video to show from Provincetown. This was the scene at The Red Inn in Provincetown as waves crashed ashore and against the business. Luckily it does not appear there was any serious damage. Thank you to The Red Inn for allowing CWN to use the video:
5 p.m. update: The buoy just east of Wellfleet measured a wind gust to 79 MPH just after 3 PM (hurricane force).
Latest power outage report is looking pretty good: Barnstable 600, Falmouth 452, Yarmouth 408, Harwich 378, Dennis and Brewster 160 each, Chatham 133 and Sandwich 80.
BEREPC update: At its 4 p.m. Tuesday conference call, the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC) reviewed current conditions and the post-storm forecast.
STATUS: The Barnstable County All Hazard Incident Management Team will maintain operations at the BCREPC Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) until 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Regional Emergency Shelter System will not be activated and has been taken off standby. This is the last report related to this weather incident.
The early afternoon high tide was not as bad as expected for north-facing beaches on Cape Cod Bay. A number of towns are experiencing power outages. Electric utility Eversource hopes to have power restored to all areas by midnight.
Travel is expected to be very dangerous after midnight with the threat of black ice on the roadways as temperatures drop into the 20s. The BCREPC urges citizens to stay off the roads and highways until crews have had a chance to clear and treat them. In addition, citizens should not go near any downed wires or poles.
The BCREPC would like to thank the members of the Incident Management Team who stood the watch in the MACC today. In addition, the BCREPC would like to thank Eversource for providing a representative to the MACC.
Bourne Police posted this video from their beaches:
4 p.m. update: Harwich Police report Depot Road between Great Western Road and Main Street is closed due to live wires down. Falmouth Police report Main Street from Shore Street to Library Lane is closed due to an uprooted tree. They also report due to coastal flooding caused by high tide, the following roads are closed until further notice: Menauhant Road from Maravista Avenue to Ocean Avenue, Menauhant Road from Davisville Road to Central Avenue, and Surf Drive from Oyster Pond Road to Mill Road. Main Street from Shore Street to Library Lane due to an unrooted tree. Oyster Pond Road from Surf Drive, Nobska Road, and Church Street are closed due downed wires (six utility poles are down).
CWN photo via Harwich Fire
Power outage report remains pretty much the same as last report. Wind gust to 79 MPH just offshore of Wellfleet and 74 MPH in Barnstable.
CWN’s Jake O’Callaghan has been checking out the situation in Harwich as seen in these videos:
3 p.m. update: Harwich Police report Forest Road closed between Sisson Road and South due to snapped utility pole. Chatham Police report pole down in area of 458 Old Harbor Road.
Pole down on Old Harbor Road via Chatham Police
Bourne Police report several trees are down around town obstructing roadways and bringing down utilities. Currently crews are working on trees obstructing Longhill Rd and Wings Neck Rd.
Outage update: 750 in Falmouth, 2,600 in Barnstable, 800+ in Wellfleet, 400 in Yarmouth, 150 in Dennis and 175 in Brewster.
Sandwich Police posted updated video of the Boardwalk at high tide:
2:45p Boardwalk pic.twitter.com/b5jCqzGTKz
— Sandwich Police (@SandwichPD) March 14, 2017
2:30 p.m. update: A marine buoy 1 mile east of Wellfleet measured a 70 MPH gust. New outage in Brewster affecting 175 customers.
This is going on at U.S. Coast Guard Station Provincetown right now. “Please stay home and away from the water.” says BMC Zerinskas, Officer in Charge, Station Provincetown.Currently, they are facing 40 knot winds and high tide:
2 p.m. update: Eversource working hard and has cleared the larger outages just off Cape. At this time 875 out in Falmouth and a new outage affecting 2,000 customers in Barnstable.
The east side of Susuit Harbor via Dennis Police
1:30 p.m. update: Eversource making progress in Bourne with outage down to 150 customers. Still 15,ooo out in Plymouth and Wareham, and now 800 out in Yarmouth. Officials keeping a close eye on the coast. Sandwich Police posted this video taken at the Boardwalk:
1:30pm view of the Boardwalk. Windy! #weatherinsandwich pic.twitter.com/KA1fp3rdUo
— Sandwich Police (@SandwichPD) March 14, 2017
1:00 p.m. update: Major outages just over the bridges, 14,000+ in Plymouth, 6,800 in Wareham. On the Cape, 2,300 out in Bourne, 650 in Falmouth, 175 in Yarmouth with scattered outages in other towns.
Sandwich fire reports Primary wire caught in down tree at State and Canary Streets just off Route 6A:
CWN photo via Sandwich Police
Falmouth Police posted this photo of a pole down on Lakeway:
Sagamore Beach via Bourne Firefighters
12:30 p.m. update: Wind gust to 60 MPH in Wellfleet. 2,150 Eversource customers out in Bourne, with over 10,000 in Plymouth and 6,800 in Wareham
11:30 a.m. update: Bourne Police were posting live video:
11 a.m. update: Sandwich Police reporting two separate crashes on Harlow Road and reporting slippery conditions:
CWN photo via Sandwich Police
BCREPC issuing an updated statement: At its 10 a.m. Tuesday planning conference call, the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC) reviewed the current weather conditions and the latest forecast on the winter storm.
STATUS: The BCREPC Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) was activated at 7 a.m. Tuesday by the Barnstable County All Hazard Incident Management Team. The Regional Emergency Shelter System is on standby. There are no plans for activation at this time. The BCREPC will continue to monitor forecasts and evaluate conditions throughout the duration of the storm.
Travel is expected to be very dangerous during the day on Tuesday with heavy snow or rain and very strong winds. In addition, as temperatures drop into the 20s later Tuesday night there will be the threat of black ice on road surfaces. The BCREPC urges citizens to stay off the roads and highways until crews have had a chance to clear them. Do not go near any downed wires or poles because they might be energized…
CWN photo via Mass State Police
10:30 a.m. update: Snow coming down harder now. Yarmouth Rescuers were called to the of a box truck rollover on Route 6 westbound between exits 7 & 8. (photos above) The driver was not seriously injured but crews had to deal with the vehicle’s fuel tank which was reportedly dislodged. State Police are investigating the crash. Eversource reporting 31 customers out in Falmouth.
CWN readers sent in these photo of the box truck in Yarmouth. If you see breaking news and can safely take photos or video, please send them to us!
Sandwich Police posted this photo of conditions there:
