Unforgiving winds continued to batter the the coast of southern New England Friday as a multi-day nor'easter delivered gusts of up to 55 mph and bands of rain.
The storm prompted the Steamship Authority, Seastreak and Island Queen to cancel all ferries headed to the islands out of concern of large waves. Hy-Line Cruises confirmed all service to Nantucket has been suspended for the day, but it is unclear if its ferries to Martha's Vineyard have also been cancelled.
Fortunately it's not high season on the islands, but it's still a big weekend for weddings and Nantucket's annual Cranberry Festival. Due to the weather, the festival has been moved to Sunday. But the Steamship Authority says delays could last through the weekend, leaving many stranded in Woods Hole.
"We have gone almost every year, so we're bumming because we don't think we'll get over," passenger Cynthia Nestle said. "Plan b is driving home another five and a half hours or getting a hotel and hoping that they're running tomorrow. But we just don't know."
Many hotels in Hyannis are booked as the storm lingers off the coast, keeping travellers on the mainland. A lot of flights to the islands are delayed or cancelled too.
One hopeful passenger in Hyannis tried to call Cape Air, but the wait time to speak with someone was 250 minutes.
Coastal communities began bracing for the dayslong storm on Wednesday, when it began to trickle into the region. Since then, showers have scattered across the lower half of New England and brought harsh winds that have been affecting the coast.
With the heightened winds lingering around the coast, waves reached more than 10 feet. The highest gusts were expected to blow through the region Friday morning between 40 to 60 mph.
The disturbance delivered concerns of flooding, prompting flood watches that have since been expired.
The nor’easter won’t last forever, and it’s estimated that it will be pushed out to sea over the weekend, according to NBC10 Boston and necn meteorologists.
