Gov. Charlie Baker announced Saturday that the track of Hurricane Henri appears to be moving west, meaning that Eastern Massachusetts — particularly, Cape Cod and the islands — will “avoid the worst of what we have been preparing for.”
“It looks like we’ll avoid a direct hit,” Baker said at a press conference about the incoming storm, though there is still a risk of widespread flooding and wind damage. Massachusetts will likely see the most intense conditions Sunday afternoon into Monday.
Baker urged residents to be cautious and to keep attuned to weather reports, as the storm track could still shift.
On Friday Baker had asked residents to stay indoors Sunday and limit their travel to essential trips, but Saturday, he backed away from that request. “You can go out, but you should be careful,” he said.
The storm appears likely to hit hardest in Connecticut and Long Island, with the heaviest rains in Massachusetts falling in Western Mass. from Worcester to the New York border. Baker said the state is still anticipating as many as 300,000 people could see power outages, in part because the ground is already so wet from heavy rains this month, making trees more likely to fall.
There could also be storm surge and flood impacts around Buzzards Bay and the South Shore.
Baker and Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler warned residents not to drive through standing water on roads. Tesler noted that water may be deeper than it appears, and “just six inches of water can stall passenger cars.”
The MBTA will still be running limited services Sunday, with the Mattapan trolley and the Green Line D trains out of service, but shuttle bus service will be provided. MBTA ferry services will also be suspended.
The Steamship Authority issued an alert saying that even with Henri tracking to the West, "it remains highly likely the storm will result in a loss of service on Sunday to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket" and that ferry service disruptions could continue into Monday. The authority is issuing regular
updates here.
