Preparations underway in Taunton, Raynham as Hurricane Lee nears. What residents need to know

Ed Baker, The Taunton Daily Gazette
Updated ·5 min read

TAUNTON — Hurricane Lee is not predicted to directly strike southern New England, but the storm could deliver gusty winds and heavy rain in the Taunton area. Local officials are closely watching the forecast and preparing for the expected wind and rain.

WCVB-TV Chief Meteorologist Cindy Fitzgibbon said computer models indicate Hurricane Lee is moving north over the Atlantic Ocean and "has jogged a little bit west.”

“There are some (computer models) now that are bringing it closer to New England and quite a few of them up into the state of Maine," Fitzgibbon said on Wednesday afternoon. "The official forecast track from the Hurricane Center has shifted slightly closer to us."

The National Hurricane Center classified Hurricane Lee as a Category 2 storm on Wednesday because it had wind speeds of 115 mph. As of Wednesday at 2 p.m., Hurricane Lee was located about 1,000 miles south of Nantucket and was moving northwest at 9 mph. The storm is turning north, on course to pass between the East Coast and Bermuda.

Forecasters say the likely path of Hurricane Lee has shifted westward, increasing the likelihood of storm impacts for Southern New England.
Forecasters say the likely path of Hurricane Lee has shifted westward, increasing the likelihood of storm impacts for Southern New England.

National Hurricane Center forecasters predict Hurricane Lee will remain a large, dangerous storm into the weekend while proceeding in a northerly path west of Bermuda on Thursday and approaching the east coast of New England or Canada’s maritime provinces on Friday and Saturday.

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Taunton officials preparing for Hurricane Lee

Taunton Interim Emergency Management Director and Police Chief Edward Walsh said city officials are monitoring weather forecasts about Hurricane Lee’s status and communications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Massachusetts Emergency Management.

“A meeting was held today to coordinate activities between city agencies and to obtain outside equipment if needed,” Walsh said in a written statement to the Taunton Daily Gazette on Tuesday. “The next two days will give us a better indication of the potential threats and required resources.”

Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell said Walsh has been in close contact with her staff “as we put plans in place to be prepared for the extreme weather that may be coming our way.

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“We ask city residents to stay tuned over the next few days as we will share updates as needed,” she said in a written statement on Tuesday.

Raynham Fire Chief Bryan LaCivita said town officials are monitoring Hurricane Lee’s path, and they would coordinate the fire department’s assets to various community groups to assist them if necessary.

Taunton and Raynham area flooding concerns

Walsh said there have been recent flooding issues on Weir and Dean Streets that concern fire officials.

“We are working with the state DPW (Department of Public Works) to address Dean Street,” he said. “The flooding is a direct result of the mitigation efforts the state has installed as part of its roadwork."

LaCivita said Raynham officials are concerned about potential flooding near a U.S. Post Office on state highway Route 138.

Flooding in the wake of two heavy rainfalls within the same week in late March 2010 caused major traffic detours along Dean Street and Route 44.
Flooding in the wake of two heavy rainfalls within the same week in late March 2010 caused major traffic detours along Dean Street and Route 44.

“The post office is usually an area that becomes flooded,” he said in a written statement on Tuesday. “Trees having leaves on them could clog clean storm drains, which could increase our flooding.“

LaCivita said fire officials plan to talk with state highway department administrators about potential flooding caused by clogged storm drains.

How Taunton and Raynham will relay emergency messages to residents

Walsh said Hurricane Lee’s predicated strength will determine how city officials communicate storm-related and emergency matters to residents.

“The city currently uses various social media outlets to communicate with residents, including the city’s website and city Facebook page,” he said.

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Walsh said Taunton officials can also notify residents about Hurricane Lee by emailing or texting them and sending a reverse 911 call to their homes.

“The city uses civic ready alerts to communicate emergency messages,” he said. “People can sign up for emergency alerts by visiting the city website at www.taunton-ma.gov/425/City-Notificiations.

LaCivita said Raynham residents will receive a reverse 911 phone call if Hurricane Lee’s conditions require them to be alerted.

“If conditions warrant, we can contact residents through a reverse 911 call or coordinate a message through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency,” he said. “We can send emails through the town website if people are registered to receive them.”

Residents can access Raynham’s municipal website to register for email notifications at https://www.town.raynham.ma.us/subsribe.

Taunton and Raynham’s designated emergency shelters

If deemed necessary, emergency shelters would be opened for residents.

In Taunton, Walsh said the high school's gymnasium would be the primary city shelter for people who needed a place to stay if they can’t safely remain home if Hurricane Lee causes severe conditions.

“Some equipment there is already prepositioned to support that,” he said.

Hurricane Gloria hit the Taunton area in September, 1985. Trees fell, flood waters rose, and some residents took to emergency shelters to ride out the storm.
Hurricane Gloria hit the Taunton area in September, 1985. Trees fell, flood waters rose, and some residents took to emergency shelters to ride out the storm.

Walsh said “other schools”  in Taunton would open to provide shelter if the hurricane forces more residents to evacuate their homes.

LaCivita said a shelter will be available at Bridgewater Raynham Regional High School for residents if Hurricane Lee forces them to evacuate their homes.

“We can use the Raynham Middle School as a shelter if the conditions are difficult,” he added.

Wind, rain expected

Fitzgibbon said Hurricane Lee’s impact will be felt “well beyond” its pathway.

“The wind field,…is going to be expanding more as it lifts northward,” she said. “Sustained tropical force winds higher than 39 mph are going to be felt on Cape Cod, and we may see some gusts to that level over the interior.”

Fitzgibbon said Cape Cod has “the potential to experience wind gusts of 60 mph or higher, and areas of southeastern Massachusetts, the North Shore, and west of Boston toward MetroWest could see gusts of 40 mph.

“Keep in mind the ground is saturated,” she said. “It won’t take much wind to cause some issues with bringing down some trees, some (utility) lines, and causing some power issues.”

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton-Raynham residents can sign up for emergency messages