Maine Under First Hurricane Watch in 15 Years

Days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes, and a likely tornado in New England could be a prelude to something more dangerous lurking offshore—Hurricane Lee. Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years as the region prepared for 20-foot waves and winds gusting to 70 mph, along with more rain, per the AP. A dangerous storm surge was projected for Friday evening for Massachusetts’ Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket Island, while the brunt of the storm was to arrive early Saturday. Although the Category 1 system did not contribute to the flooding of recent days, it threatened to exacerbate conditions in a region that is already much too wet.

The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with possible power outages. At Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, the community came together to remove boats from the water to keep them out of harm’s way. At midday Thursday, Lee was spinning 245 miles southwest of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was traveling north on a path that could lead to landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada, possibly as a tropical storm, forecasters said.

The storm threatened to bring a mixed bag of threats. Ocean waves as tall as 20 feet could lash the coast, damaging structures and causing erosion; powerful wind gusts could knock down trees weakened by a wet summer; and rain could cause flash flooding in a region where the soil is already saturated, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine. Meanwhile, in severe weather unrelated to Lee, the NWS in Boston said radar data and videos indicated that a likely tornado damaged trees and power lines in Rhode Island and Connecticut on Wednesday.

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