“Rare” Storm Expected to Bring High Winds and Rain to the Cape and Islands Until Friday

HYANNIS – Rain and high winds are expected to be the norm on the Cape and Islands for the next few days.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a long duration coastal storm that will impact the area through Friday.

NWS Meteorologist Matthew Belk said that the storm will consist of strong and damaging winds that could result in scattered power outages.

He added that there will also be coastal flooding and residents should be aware of beach erosion.

“There’s going to be some significant beach erosion so if you have a house that’s protected by a dune, that dune could be seriously compromised, so that’s definitely we’ll have to monitor as we go,” said Belk.

Sustained winds are expected to reach up to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

The Steamship Authority is monitoring the weather and said that service disruptions are possible from Wednesday through Friday.

Customers are advised to check the Authority’s website for further updates.

MEMA has been in touch with emergency managers on the Cape but at this time, there has been no plans to open any emergency shelters.

Officials at Logan Airport are expecting delays and cancellations later today, tomorrow and Friday as a result of the incoming storm.

Wind gusts of 20 knots and low cloud ceilings will slow down airport capacity.

Belk said that storms like this don’t happen often around this time of the year.

“This is a pretty rare storm for this time of year,” said Belk. “Compared to climatology, we’re looking at four to five standard deviations, which is something well less than one percent probability of a storm of this magnitude for this time of year.”

Belk adds that the large waves that the storm will produce will also be dangerous for those who enjoy walking on the piers and jetties.

“With waves of 10 to 20 feet, and there could be waves even larger than that, so you may think that you’re in a location that’s safe to watch the waves and it turns out you’re not,” said Belk. “The best thing to do is to stay well away from the immediate shoreline.”

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