Boston Warned Not to Take Irene Lightly

New England hasn't had a hurricane landfall in 20 years and meteorologists at the National Weather Service (NWS) are telling people to take Hurricane Irene seriously.

"It's not something to be ignored," meteorologist Benjamin Sipprell said Friday morning, urging residents to be prepared for whatever the storm brings. "The area is not really heavily affected by hurricanes on a regular basis. The overwhelming fear is that a lot of the dense trees we have around New England are not really going to be accustomed to such an infrequent event," Sipprell said.

The National Weather Service has issued a Hurricane Watch for the Boston metro area. And Gov. Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, putting 2,000 National Guard troops on standby.

On Friday, plenty of people in Charlestown were stocking up on water, batteries, lanterns and food.

At Charlestown Ace, shoppers were snagging multiple packs of batteries and flashlights, according to the manager Norma (who declined to share her last name). And, as a result, the wall that's usually packed with flashlights is now nearly empty.

If Hurricane Irene hits Boston and wipes out the power supply, at least parts of Charlestown will be illuminated. Norma encouraged anyone still planning to stop in for emergency supplies do so as soon as they can.

Over at Johnnie's, employees said there's been a steady rush of customers since Thursday afternoon. But a manager who spoke to Patch seemed confident they'd have enough bottled water to accommodate shoppers up until the storm's expected arrival on Sunday.

The Bunker Hill Mall might be busy, but the real frantic energy is across the neighborhood, in the Navy Yard, where hundreds of privately-owned boats are docked at a handful of local marinas.

On Friday, managers at the Constitution Marina were trying to get a hold of the 300 people who have their boats housed there -- to make sure they'll have time to take down sails, strip their boats and tie extra lines to be sure each boat is secure.

Cathy Collins said marina staff were watching the Weather Channel around the clock.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," she said. 

As of Friday, the NWS is warning that inland regions of Southern New England will likely suffer the worst flooding from the storm. NWS is also predicting a 6 to 11 percent chance of the "hurricane conditions" hitting the Boston area. That's a slightly elevated report.  

Irene is currently marked as a Category 3 hurricane—meaning it has sustained winds of 111-130 miles per hour—and predicted to make landfall in the Carolinas on Saturday. According to the National Hurricane Center, there is a 30 percent probability that Irene will still be classified as a hurricane on Sunday, when it's predicted to reach New England.

The Latest Forecast

Although Irene's intensity is still somewhat in question, the current forecast for Boston calls for rain to start Saturday afternoon and become heavy Saturday night. On Sunday, tropical storm conditions are possible and hurricane conditions are possible by Sunday evening. 

"Strong impacts will start to move in Sunday morning. The bulk of activity will be Sunday afternoon into Sunday night," Sipprell, of the NWS, told Patch. For the Boston area, the main threats look to be strong winds, storm surges and shore erosion. 

The counterclockwise rotation of the storm as it comes up through Long Island, N.Y., could wrap around the coast and work like a right hook into Boston's harbor, bringing storm surges of 1-3 feet. The storm will likely combine with what Sipprell called "an astronomical high tide" late Sunday night to inundate coastal areas in and around Boston, bringing a couple of feet of water onshore.

An area of low pressure coming out of the Great Lakes region could intensify rains over New England "almost like how you squeeze a sponge," Sipprell said, dropping 5-10 inches of rain across western and central portions of the region.

"It really depends on where Irene tracks," he said. Current estimations are that it will head over Long Island and make landfall in southern and central New England as a Category 1 hurricane, spinning over Worcester and into eastern New Hampshire. But, Sipprell said, "it can weaken or it can strengthen."

Keep abreast of the latest forecast for Boston and eastern Massachusetts on the NWS's website.

Important Numbers and Information

The city's web site offers dozens of tips on how to prep your home and sign up for mobile/phone alerts regarding emergencies.

• Mayor's Office 24-hour Constituent Services Line: 617-635-4500
• Non-Emergency Police: 617-343-4200
• Non-Emergency Fire: 617-343-3415
• National Grid power outages: (800) 465-1212
• National Grid gas emergencies: (800) 233-5325
• Comcast: (800) 266-2278
• Verizon: (800) 837-4966 (VERIZON)

Click here for MBTA Advisories.