Flood Watch For Worcester County With Nor'easter In Forecast

MILFORD, MA — The first nor'easter of autumn could bring significant rainfall and gusty winds to southern Worcester County, prompting a flood watch from the National Weather Service.

Wind and rain will move into the area early Tuesday morning and continue through the day, and into Wednesday. The biggest threat for the area is heavy rain — although forecasts call for wind gusts up to 60 mph along the Massachusetts coast.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), 4 to 6 inches of rain could fall throughout eastern Worcester County and western Middlesex County. Rain could fall at a rate of 1 inch per hour, according to forecasts, and a flood watch will be in place until Wednesday evening.

"Heavy rainfall may cause flooding of roads and ponding of water in low-lying areas. The Tuesday evening commute may be particularly impacted," the NWS said in the flood watch.

A flood watch means flooding is possible but differs from a flood warning, which means flooding is imminent. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) warned residents to clear leaves away from sewer grates and drains to prevent urban flooding.

Wind gusts could reach 35 to 45 mph in the Worcester area — but Milford and other towns near the Norfolk County border could see stronger gusts. A high wind watch will be in effect for all of Norfolk County.

You can check local power outages in Massachusetts on the MEMA website.