Winthrop Shore Drives was closed due to flooding on Friday morning. (Photo courtesy Mass. State Police)
A strong winter storm made for a messy Friday morning as the Boston area dealt with snow, high winds, and flooded roads. The National Weather Service posted winter storm warnings and wind advisories until Friday afternoon.
Several towns in the Metrowest area had between six and eight inches of snow by 7 a.m. Friday. The town of Mansfield reported 14 inches and parts of Worcester County had more than a foot.
A home on Plum Island washed into the ocean during Friday morning’s high tide, and others nearby were in danger of collapse.
“We are going to see some damage out of this,” Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, told the Boston Globe. “It’s coming in as advertised, a strong high tide. We are seeing things out there that could impact homes and really tear up some of these roads, not just deposit some water on them.”
All east and northeast-facing shorelines in Massachusetts were under coastal flood warnings until 9 p.m. Friday.
“This high tide will be dangerous with scattered damage to vulnerable structures possible,” the National Weather Service said. “The storm tide will likely be nearly a foot higher than the tide Thursday morning, and waves are expected to be five to ten feet higher offshore. Severe beach erosion will continue this morning and some erosion will likely linger through the Saturday morning high tide.”
The Red Cross opened shelters in Plymouth and Salisbury, with three additional sites on standby.
Many communities declared a snow day, although Boston Public Schools were open. The city advised residents to take public transportation if possible, but did not declare a citywide snow emergency or parking ban.
Parking was banned on Winthrop Shore Drive and Revere Beach Blvd. by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. The DCR also closed the Nahant Causeway, Lynn Shore Drive, and Morrissey Blvd. due to flooding.
The Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation said more than 2,500 plows worked overnight to keep roads clear. The speed limit on the Mass. Pike was reduced to 40 miles per hour from Worcester to the New York border.
The MBTA warned passengers to be prepared for long delays and the possibility of service reductions, especially on bus routes. On the Red Line, buses were used in place of trolleys on the Mattapan Line.
More than 4,200 NStar customers were without power as of 8 a.m. Friday, mostly on the South Shore. National Grid reported just over 5,200 customers without service.
The storm was expected to end Friday afternoon.
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