Preparations begin across Aquidneck Island for Hurricane Lee. What's being done.
As weather forecasts try to predict Hurricane Lee’s impacts on New England this weekend, harbor masters on Aquidneck Island have been making preparations for the storm.
“It’s a lot of work for harbor masters,” Newport Harbor master Stephen Land said. “We don’t take this lightly and it’s all prep work. Once the storm is here you can’t go and fix things.”
Although he expects it to weaken to a Category 1 by the time it impacts Newport, Land said on Wednesday he and his staff began working hard to prepare for whatever Hurricane Lee has in store for Narragansett Bay since the storm was upgraded to a Category 5 Hurricane on Sept. 8. The storm, as of Thursday morning, is expected to pass "well offshore" of Southern New England Saturday, bringing rain, powerful surf and strong wind along the coast but less impact inland and to the west, according to the National Weather Service.
A tropical storm watch has been posted for coastal Rhode Island with the storm expected to affect coastal New England late Friday into Saturday.
Land said his office has advised those visiting Newport by boat to return to their home port for the weekend and Newport residents with vessels of their own should secure the boat for the storm and remove the sails and canvas.
Additionally, they’re planning to move some boats away from the north harbor entrance, where the waves are typically the strongest, to the main harbor.
“I’m not an alarmist,” Land said. “We don’t like to say to people ‘Oh, everybody has to clear the harbor,’ we like to be in reality and we like to make sure everyone has the support they need. Some of our population are not professional boaters, they need our help, so we really offer our assistance as much as we can.”
Hurricane Lee's effect on Newport International Boat Show, cruises
The storm comes at a busy time for Newport, Land said, as the International Boat Show was slated for this weekend. Land said he has been working closely with the boat show organizers and plans to help them with whatever they need. Five cruise ships had also planned to make stops in the city, which have all since been canceled due to the storm.
The show must go on: How the Newport International Boat Show is preparing for Hurricane Lee
Boat show organizers posted to its website that they were monitoring the storm and some changes were already being made, including the cancelation of an in-water training session. Additionally, Jamestown-Newport Ferry service was being canceled Friday through Sunday.
Middletown, Portsmouth police recommend removing boats from water
In Middletown and Portsmouth, the Police Department is the body responsible for harbor master duties, including preparations for Hurricane Lee. Middletown's Captain Jason Ryan said they have recommended people with vessels docked on the harbor or in a marina to pull them out onto land, but advise those who cannot or are unwilling to take extra precautions so their vessels are secure during the storm. Officer Allison O'Connor of Portsmouth said much of the same.
"Our boat will be prepared to launch in the event of an emergency, and we will utilize partner agencies such as the US Coast Guard to assist if needed," O'Connor wrote in a statement. "We are recommending that boaters double-check to ensure that their vessels are secure and/or remove them from the water if possible. We recommend boaters take these steps ahead of time and to not wait until the last minute before the storm gets to our area."
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As for the Middletown Police Department themselves, Ryan said they are planning to add a few extra patrols around Second Beach.
“I know people will be wanting to go down there to either surf or look at the waves and so parking and parking on the street becomes an issue, so we’ll have extra officers down there to make sure no one’s parking on the street,” Ryan said.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Hurricane Lee in Newport, RI, has boaters preparing ahead of storm
